I Wanna Know What Love Is
by AmazingGraceless
Summary: Marlene Sunrider is Bella's half-sister who is a mumbling shy daughter of Apollo. When she moves to Forks to placate her sister, she finds herself falling in love with a mere mortal. She becomes worried as her sister draws closer and closer to Edward Cullen.
1. I Gotta Take a Little Time

**01/17**

I lie in this strange new bed, mulling over the events of the day. I had gone from the well-lit city of the sun, Phoenix, Arizona, and had crossed over under a gloomy cloud cover to where sheets of rain came pouring down around me.

If I'd had my say in things, I would have been on Long Island by now. Instead, I'm in Forks, Washington, the rainiest town on Earth, or in America at least, home to my stepfather, the father of my half-sister.

Charlie Swan is the Chief of the Police in Forks and is well beloved by the people, at least from what Bella tells me. I just sort of stay out of his way. He knows just as well as I do that

I'm not supposed to be here, but neither of us say anything because of Bella.

I love my half-sister, I really do, but she has flaws. She constantly thinks that she's the mature, responsible one, even over our mother, just because she's reminded her of a few things like certain groceries or chores every once in a while. Maybe in some circles, that would be considered responsibility and maturity. Not in the circles I often visit.

You see, on my father's side of the family, I have a lot of half-siblings. We all go to a summer camp in Long Island every summer. None of us have ever really visited our father, although he does try to make contact with all of us as much as possible. That's not why we're mature and responsible, though.

Imagine knowing that you are the only person who can see a threat that can hurt others. Imagine knowing that you attract these monsters and there's nothing you can do about it except try to stop them. Imagine knowing that you could die at any moment, and that you might never make it past sixteen.

Imagine having power beyond the ordinary. The ability to see things others can't in the present and the future. The ability to heal others with just a touch. The ability to control light itself. Having faster reflexes, being more alert than anyone else in your school, and better aim, too.

Imagine keeping all of this a secret from your sister and both of your step-fathers. That's my life in a nutshell. A daughter of Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, healing, music, prophecy, archery, and the arts overall.

Mom knew for a long time, being able to see what others couldn't. She'd hoped that Bella would be able to as well, but as far as we could both tell, she was oblivious to the world of the supernatural and we intended to keep it that way.

Bella's one of the two people I blame for my fate here. The other is Phil Dwyer, my second stepfather. A minor-league baseball player, going around from team to team, isn't all that good. Mom used to stay home with us in Phoenix, but she missed him. Bella decided to become a martyr and come up here.

It had been a nice Saturday. I'd finished my homework, and was feeling really good about the day and was thinking about practicing my SLAM poetry when Bella had walked in.

"Mara, I need to talk to you." She'd sat down on the chair to my desk.

I'd sat up, thinking it was something truly serious. "What's up?"

She'd sighed and looked up me with the eyes we shared. "You know I'm moving to Forks, right?"

I had eyed her, trying to gauge her seriousness. She had been complaining in the subtler ways about the town she hated so much.

"Yes, Bells, I'm not dead or anything." I'd looked down at my Rolling Stones magazine, deciding not to take the conversation too seriously.

"I want you to come with me."

I'd nearly fallen off the bed. "What? Bella, I'm moving in with my half-siblings in New York, I'm not going to Forks!"

"I'll be all alone, Mara! Besides, what would you really prefer, being with your half-brothers and sisters that are just results of a father that abandoned you and live with desperate women who will probably resent you because you're a result of his affair with another woman, or your sister who has watched over you since you were born and made sure that Renée was still responsible?"

I could see her confidence growing with every second, but crippling guilt and shame took over.

"Fine," I had muttered, standing up. "I'll go with you to Forks."

She'd hugged me and fawned over me, but now I'm here. Maybe if I were a little more human, I wouldn't mind it so much, but being a child of Apollo, I need the sunlight. I rise out of bed and fall asleep with my father's arc across the sky.

Charlie mostly left me alone, and focused on his daughter, trying to make up for years and years of lost time. Not that Bella cared, from what I saw. She just argued about the truck that he got for her for free.

I honestly don't understand why she complains so much.

When we got to Charlie's house, I unpacked with Bella in the little bedroom we would share for the next few years. I began to sing "Rhiannon" but she gave me a nasty glare, and I stopped reluctantly.

About five minutes later, she went to use and set up the only bathroom in the house, and I pulled off the sweatshirt over my tank top off and folded it hastily and tossed it into one of the drawers Bella had assigned me.

I pulled some items I didn't want Charlie or Bella to see out of my backpack, starting with a celestial bronze dagger with a sun carved onto the handle, the perfect weight for throwing or melee. I pushed it under my pillow, and then grabbed the bottle of nectar and my emergency Ziploc of ambrosia squares and golden darchmas, and shoved it under my sweatshirt in the drawer, and buried it under other clothes in a hurry. I slammed the drawer shut just as Bella re-entered the room.

I looked out the window to see a boy looking out of the window in the other house, surprised to see someone looking out this one. I gave a weak smile and started to flatten against the wall as quickly as possible when I saw a mischievous, good-hearted, lop-sided smirk on his face before he disappeared from the view. I slid down the blue wall, and Bella peered at me with an interested expression

"He was kinda cute," she said. "You should've talked to him, Mara."

"I can't," I told her. "Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. I don't need a guy."

"Of course you do!" She chirped, before going back to unpacking her clothes.

So yeah, now I'm here. I just want to stay long enough for Bella to graduate, and then I'm moving back to Long Island. It will be better there, with half-sibs and all of that.

* * *

 **01/18**

I guess things went better than they could have. Today was my first day at Forks High School. I got up early to see the sunrise, and was disappointed to see the rain. It was one of those things where I just forgot for a moment, and I was just so hyped that I got upset.

I pulled my blond hair back into a ponytail, and pulled on another black tank top on, and a bright orange Camp Half-Blood hoodie and some blue jeans. I hid the knife in my waistband, and shoved my iPod and emergency Ziploc into my pocket, and bounded down the stairs, resisting the urge to sing once again.

Charlie was brewing coffee as I grabbed some Pop-Tarts, and put them in the toaster.

"Good morning," I said cheerily, slapping a bright smile on my face.

"'Morning." He nodded, and went back to reading files from the station. The silence set me on edge, so I began to hum "Here Comes the Sun," a favorite in the Apollo Cabin. Often there were battles every night for certain music to play, but that was a favorite we all shared.

"That's pretty. I didn't know you could sing, Marlene."

I looked up. "What- oh. Yeah, I guess."

Bella then strode in, and the Queen had arrived.

In Forks High, Bella ditched me at the first chance she had. I turned the corner to try to find my special reading class when I bumped right into the guy from next door.

"Hey, might wanna watch out there," he warned in a somewhat friendly tone. "Hey, you're one the Chief's daughters, right? Just moved in last night?"

"Um, stepdaughter," I corrected nervously. "I'm Mara Sunrider. What's your name?"

"Patton, Patton Hartley." His hand outstretched as a lop-sided easygoing grin emerged.

"Nice to meet you," I said. "Do you know where room 321 is?"

"Yeah, let me show you," he gestured for me to follow. "So, where are you from?"

"Phoenix, Arizona."

"Did you like it there?"

"I prefer sunshine," I admitted with a shrug. "I guess you could say I'm a child of the sun."

He grinned a little wider. "I can get behind that."

"Are you from around here?" I asked.

"Forks native, born and raised," he replied. "I can get the whole sun thing. Rain can get a bit overrated around here."

I found myself snickering.

"So, what year are you?"

"Sophomore. How about you?"

"Freshman, unfortunately."

"Cool. This must be all shades of terrifying."

"True. Patton, what classes are you taking?"

"English II, Algebra II, Chemistry, European History, P.E, and as dorky as it sounds, Creative Writing."

"You like poetry?" I was excited now.

"Yeah," he admitted as he looked down at his grimy sneakers. "Really dorky, isn't it?"

"Actually, I love SLAM," I confessed. "I love hearing and writing it. Maybe I'm taking it at the same time as you?"

"I have it in fourth period," he told me. "How about you?"

"Same. I guess that means we'll have the same lunch period, too."

"There you go. You know somebody now." We both laughed at that. "Well, see you then, Mara."

I turned to see my classroom, but when I looked back, he was already walking off into the crowd.

At lunch, I just followed Patton to where there was a group of two other guys and two girls were sitting at a table, just a bit away from the table where Bella was sitting.

"Hey guys," Patton said as he sat down. "This is Mara Sunrider, Chief Swan's stepdaughter."

"Hi," I murmured as I slowly sat down.

"These guys are Michael and Alex, and these lovely ladies are Jen and Liz." Patton gestured around the table.

"Welcome to our table," Liz, a dark-skinned girl said.

"Yeah, once you hang with us, you're stuck with us," Alex added.

Jen leaned in. "Sorry about unleashing these storms of teenage testosterone upon you. Be forewarned, they are easier to control than you think."

I gave off a nervous giggle.

"So, what year are you guys?" I asked.

"Sophomores!" They all chorused, raising water bottles.

We were starting to laugh and joke around when they came in. Pale-skinned teenagers that were eerily beautiful, almost uncanny. They made every hair raise on my skin, and I heard Patton make a little sound as he glared at the redhead.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"What?" He looked back at me. "Nothing. Those are the Cullens, the most arrogant, self-righteous, and most pretentious kids you'll ever meet. They're little rich kids who act like they know it all and are above us and have the right to do anything they want."

There was agreement around the table.

"And they all date each other," Jen added. "They may be foster kids, and I'm sorry that I sound judgmental here, but that's just creepy!"

"No arguments here," I said, putting my hands up. I looked back to see Bella and Redhead Cullen staring at each other intensely.

"Is that your sister he's staring down?" Michael asked. "I know she's pretty, but this new girl? What?"

"Oh dear God I feel sorry for you," Patton said quickly. "If he starts hanging around your house all the time. . . Edward Cullen is the worst out of them all. No one is good enough to be friends with him."

"Put me out of my misery now," I groaned as I banged my head against the table.

"Oh no, you're suffering with the rest of us," Liz teased.

The rest of the day was fine, but those are the important pieces, I guess. Well, that, and every guy in the school was drooling over Bella. She acts like she's such a hideous outcast, but she's the pretty one in the family with pale skin and wavy dark hair and her sweet clothes.

Not saying I'm ugly, but I just felt kinda plain next to an old-fashioned beauty like her. It wasn't all that great to see more boys just confirm it. Especially stupid Edward Cullen. I'm getting bad vibes off of that guy, but I don't know what. I guess I'm just going to have to wait.


	2. A Little Time to Think Things Over

**03/07**

Things have happened in Forks. I haven't ventured much out of the small circle of friends I have from hanging around Patton. Bella got into a car crash and obsesses over Edward Cullen right now. Like today- he didn't attend school (like I care) and she seems so focused on it.

It's nauseating to watch. Boys keep asking her to the Sadie Hawkins dance and she refuses them. It's like no one's ever good enough for her. Mike Newton seems friendly, Tyler Crowley seems like a nice guy despite the car accident, and Eric seems fun, too.

"I honestly don't get it," I admitted to Patton. "Especially since she doesn't say no."

"Some girls like pulling us along on our strings," he said with a shrug as he leaned against the lockers. "I'm guessing you're not that type, though?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I wouldn't know what to do with all of those strings."

"Some nights I'm not so sure you don't," he muttered.

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing. You gonna ask anyone out?"

I shook my head. "I'd like to go, but when I get near most guys, I freeze. Not you, though. You're different."

"Nice to hear that, Beautiful."

I jumped a little as he smirked. "Oh, um, thanks."

"My pleasure." He straightened. "You're not going, though?"

"Oh, I will be going, since Bella plans on spending Saturday with Redward Cullen," I sighed.

"Totally get you there," he agreed. "That's cool. Maybe we'll run into each other there."

I grinned and snorted. "It's a small school. We'll run into each other for sure."

"Come on, we've got to get to Creative Writing so I can hand you your ass in the short story readings," he said.

I've been thinking about it, and tomorrow, I'm going to go with Bella and her friends to get a new dress with some money I've saved up from my job back in Phoenix. I think I'll be able to get a job here, soon.

Charlie's completely cool with it. I don't think he likes Patton all that much.

Anyway, I got an email from one of my half-brothers, Lewis, and his full-sister, Joan.

 _Dear Mara,_

 _We're glad to hear from you again. It's been far too long. How's it been in Forks? Must be hard, not being near the sun all the time._

 _Hey, Joanie here- so, any cute boys I ought to know about? I've got a new bae, and he's everything I ever wanted from a guy. School's fine. Archery's going great as well._

 _Okay, let me on-this is Lewis. Biology is wonderful right now, the top of the class. Speech and Debate is starting, and I think I've got a chance at winning the interp contest this year._

 _Both of us now. If you find any great music, let us know._

 _Lots of love,_

 _Your darling half-bloods._

I will write back soon. We children of Apollo have fun keeping up with one another. It's like being band geeks, as some members will tell us-we have all the inside secrets since we have the biggest cabin.

I miss it dearly there.

* * *

 **03/08**

Oh gods. I almost can't breathe after tonight. I'm lying here, waiting in terror. I can't sleep for sure, and my fingers are clenching the handle of my knife so tightly that the sun is imprinted on my red and white fingers.

Tonight, I went with Jessica Stanley and Angela Weber with Bella to Port Angelos. We went to a department store, and I took a look at the dresses. I finally decided on a white strapless number, a bit lower than what I usually wear, but it is still school-appropriate. I'm also borrowing Bella's white flats to dance in, and I just can't wait for it. I couldn't, anyways.

While Jessica and Angela took our dresses back to the car, I went off with Bella to look for books. She passed a hippie store, and took a wrong turn.

"Bella, maybe we should turn back," I suggested when I saw more and more rusty pubs I wouldn't want to be caught near.

"What do you mean? We're fine, Mara, you'll see," she said airily. Out of the corner of my eye, I could already see men tracking us. Like an idiot, Bella replied to them, and we were walking faster and faster until we were surrounded by rapists.

"We were wondering where you disappeared," one man said to Bella. I was about to run as fast as I could when a Volvo nearly barreled over the men. The passenger door flung open.

"Get in," Edward Cullen ordered.

I shook my head, backing away, when one of them grabbed me from behind. I snatched his wrist from around my waist and flung him away from me.

"Get in!"

I meekly jumped in and fastened my seatbelt. As Bella babbled on about wanting to kill Tyler Crowley for merely asking her to the dance, I was silently panicking. I had almost been raped. How was Bella still okay? I was now stuck in Edward Cullen's Volvo.

Finally, we stopped by Angela and Jessica.

"Where did you guys go?" Jessica asked.

I began to shake as Bella fed a half-truth.

"You two should come with me, make sure you eat," Edward said.

"My dress is in the car," I protested quickly.

"You can take it with us," he said. I looked helplessly at the people around me and surrendered, taking the dress into the backseat and looking around nervously.

At the restaurant, Bella Italia, I watched as Bella grew jealous of the waitresses, as Edward ordered us around and treated me in particular like a child.

"Take a Coke," he ordered, pushing the cold glass to me.

"No thank you," I said as politely as I could.

"Drink." He ordered.

"I'm fine," I said flatly, crossing my arms over my chest. "How the Hades did you find us?"

"I tracked you by looking into your mind-"

"You read minds?" I shook horribly. "How long have you been following us?"

"Long enough," Edward answered, staring at Bella with a crooked smile that sent my stomach plunging into terror.

"I see," I managed to reply with an even tone. "I need to use the bathroom."

He nodded, and I got up as quickly as possible and ran into the ladies' restroom, and locked the stall door. I leaned against the door and let myself cry. What was I going to do? I hated that I didn't have a cellphone, but I didn't need to draw any actual monsters to the location.

I got myself back in control, and walked out into the dining room nervously when I saw a familiar face in a partition booth.

"Patton!" I cried, relieved.

"Mara! I didn't know you'd be here," he said hastily. "What's up?"

"I need help. We were in Port Angelos, and Edward Cullen-"

He held up a finger. "Cullen's here?"

I nodded.

"Come on, let's go outside."

"Did you have someone with you?" I asked, gesturing to the booth.

"No, I was just waiting for my sister to finish her shift. Unfortunately, she has to wait on that snobby- wait, is that your sister?" His blue-grey eyes widened.

"Yeah," I admitted. "You said you had something to tell me though?"

"Sorry." He got to his feet. "Come on, we need to go out."

I followed him outside to the edge of the mostly-empty parking lot. My hand hovered over the hilt, even though I was fairly certain that Patton was mortal, and I looked around in the darkness as my eyes adjusted from the dim lighting of Bella Italia.

He folded his arms over his chest and glared in the direction of the restaurant and didn't speak for a moment, and then he looked over at me.

"Do you believe that there may be magic in this world, things that can't be explained otherwise? Like Gorgons, vampires, werewolves?" He asked.

I blinked in shock. "Um, I, I guess I do," I said, wondering where the conversation was going.

"I guess I'm about to sound crazy, but Edward Cullen can read minds," Patton said.

"What makes you say that?" I asked as I folded my arms over my chest and stared down at my sneakers.

A shudder went through his body. "I can feel it. I feel it every single time he goes through my mind, like he has some right to."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I've seen some things, but I don't like Cullen. I know something else is wrong with him."

"I have that feeling, too," I assured him.

"You believe me?"

"Of course I do," I said. "Someone's gotta believe the maverick."

A small, strange smile appeared on his face. "Of course. Why don't I give you a ride home with me and my sister, and you can tell your sister-"

"She likes Cullen," I interrupted.

A sour look appeared on his face. "Most of the girls do."

"And he's been stalking us, to 'protect her' I think," I confided in a rush.

"Here, use my phone," Patton said as he pulled out his cellphone.

"No, I can't," I said, stepping back. "If he can read minds, he'll-"

"That doesn't mean that he'll stop you," Patton replied. "Look, as much as Bella might like the stalking, you don't, and that means you need to get your step-dad involved."

"I-I-I-" I took a step back, and he sighed.

"Alright, then, let me get my sister, and we'll go-"

Edward and Bella came right out.

"Come on," Edward growled. I looked hopelessly between the two guys and obeyed.

"I'll call you when I get home, Patton," I said quietly.

"Don't be a stranger," he called. "And think about what I said!"

I nodded, and got in the backseat of the Volvo as Edward and Bella started talking about something-about him, I think. My heart was pounding with fear and wondering what would happen. The whole night had been a nightmare.

"And that's when I realized that I don't care what you are," Bella said softly, jerking me out of my thoughts.

"Even if I've killed people?"

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" I cried. "What the Hades is going on?"

Bella turned back to me. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You just scream things about 'THE FUTURE! THE FUTURE!' in your sleep and hang around with a guy that is nothing compared to Edward."

"I don't give a Stygian sword," I said fiercely. "And I'm sorry that I like someone who is ordinary."

"Why would you want that?" Bella asked. "Not if you can have a vampire?"

"Wait, Edward's a vampire?"

"I'm right here, and yes," he answered snobbishly.

"Stop the car!" I ordered.

"What, why?" He glanced back at me.

"Just trust me, stop the car," I said. He hit the breaks and the car skidded to a stop. I grabbed my garment bag and purse, and unbuckled my seatbelt. "I think I'll walk home, thanks."

"Oh no you don't!" Before I could do anything, Edward was at my door, strapping me back in. I tried to scream, but no one was around. The door was locked, and he went back in at a speed that made Hermes look slow.

As they talked about Edward's vampirism, I started to pray to my father that I would live to see the next morning. We did get home safely, and a bit before we were supposed to, but I went straight to bed, but I can't sleep.

I know three things- first, Edward is a vampire. Two, there was a part of him that thirsted for my sister's blood, or possibly mine and he doesn't know it. Three, my sister is irrevocably infatuated with him.


	3. I Better Read Between the Lines

**AN: I don't own American Pie, Maria, Footloose, Percy Jackson, Twilight, or I Wanna Know What Love Is.**

* * *

 **03/09**

"So I see Cullen spared you," Patton teased upon seeing me the next day.

I shuddered at the idea.

"What's up, Mara?" He asked as I looked down at my sneakers and steadied myself.

"Y-You were right," I whispered. "And there is more. He's a vampire. All of his family is."

"And the reason we're not all dead yet?"

"They eat animal blood, I think," I told him, looking frantically around.

"Well, that's reassuring."

"You said you've been able to see this kind of thing?" I asked.

"Yeah, all sorts of monsters. Trouble seems to find me, in the forms of these monsters. Chief Swan doesn't exactly like me since I seem to be that insane witness. I stopped telling the truth a long time ago. No one exactly believes you when you talk about harpies on the side of the road." He looked at something, and then his head swiveled back to look at me, his blue-grey eyes wide with shock.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, I guess," he muttered.

"No, tell me," I said, my voice becoming forceful in a way I was unfamiliar with.

"Well, I thought I saw you glowing out of the corner of my eye," he admitted sheepishly. "Like sunlight surrounded you."

"Huh," I muttered. "That's new."

"Well, I gotta go, so if you'll excuse me, Beautiful," Patton then walked off.

After school today, I replied to my wonderful half-siblings.

 _Joanie, Lewis,_

 _Everything's going just fine here in Forks, except... I need you to get in touch with Will at Camp. I think I've encountered a new type of vampire. One that can read minds, has color-changing eyes, and sucks animal blood. My sister wants to date one, and I'm a bit uneasy, understandably._

 _Otherwise, I have a small circle of friends, although it is mostly the one, a boy next door. I think he has the gift of clear sight. He can see and hear things others can't, and is the only one who can feel it when the new vamp reads his mind._

 _I wish you the best of luck Lewis with your HI and Radio, and Joanie, I wish you the best of luck with your new bae. Kick everyone else's asses in the archery competition for me, will ya? Any monster sightings where you're at?_

 _Lots of love,_

 _Mara_

After I sent it, I decided to take a walk in the woods. I don't know why, but it was like something was guiding me, and it cleared my mind a bit. I was right in the middle of them when I'd stepped on something. I cleared the leaves away from over it, and found what appeared to be a Celestial bronze broadsword.

I rubbed some of the mud off with my sweatshirt, and pulled it up to look at it through the drizzle. Something about it attracted me, and I wanted to use it. On the hilt tied to it was a fairly recent string of bay leaves.

I knelt. "Thank you for this gift. I shall use it in your name, Father."

I felt like warm sunlight bathed my body, my father's presence in the simplest of ways. I then began to unravel the bay leaves, when the sword turned into a necklace with a pointed cross. I placed the necklace around my neck and smiled.

I hope that it will serve me well, possibly to work with this new threat.

* * *

 **03/12**

I think I just had the time of my life. It hasn't been all that good today, though, being a pretty mixed day. First of all, I got up to actually see the sun. I smiled and waved at the sun, my father riding in his chariot in whatever form it was currently in.

I then got on the computer and checked into my email to see a flagged one from Will Solace. I remember Will being pretty important in a lot of our lives. He was there for any siblings that came out and encouraged the Apollo cabin to be a safe environment. He was also the one who gave a lot of us The Talk. Yes, that's who actually told me.

I opened instantly.

 _Dear Mara,_

 _It's great to hear from you, by the way. I figured I'd send this straight to you rather than have the long transmission through Joan and Lewis. Turns out the type you came across was a bit obscure, so I had Nico do some digging._

I stopped reading, and tried to re-read the line, wondering if my dyslexia was acting up more than usual. Nico Di Angelo? I remembered the stoic emo Hades counselor that was sometimes at Camp Jupiter, sometimes at Camp Half-Blood. I didn't like him much, with his death aura. It made me feel cold and scared going within a five-foot radius of him. I hadn't realized his relationship with Will had gotten friendly enough for him to ask for help.

 _You sure do know how to pick them, Mara. Nico had to go to Camp Jupiter and had to do some deep digging, until he and Reyna finally uncovered them. They're fairly recent for the demigodly world. They come from medieval Italy, Stregoni Benefici, beginning with the Volturi demigods, some of the last ones to ever appear in Rome._

 _Their special traits? They sparkle in the sunlight, have perennial bruising under their eyes, red eyes, are super strong, super fast, smell good, and occasionally have extra super-powers like the mind-reader you came across. The golden eyes and the animal-drinking is unusual, though. Maybe it's particular only to this clan?_

 _We came across a record of a treaty they signed with the Quilquete shape-shifters early in the twentieth century. I'd recommend keeping an eye on them, particularly the one your sister's interested in. Does your half-sister know he's a vampire? How much does he know about you? Perhaps we can make a treaty with the clan in Forks._

 _I hope this helps you a lot with your security in Forks. Write me more if something serious comes up._

 _Your brother,_

 _Will_

I sighed, and logged off. I turned to see my sister changing into plain hiking clothing. I threw on a bikini my sister, Kayla, had gotten me last summer and a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt that belonged to one of my old half-brothers, Arty.

"That shirt's too big," Bella sneered. "Besides, what would you be doing in a bikini? You should be more modest like me, Mara."

I held back some of the emotions that I was still dealing with. "It was a gift from my half-brother."

"Change your clothes," she ordered in a motherly fashion. "Edward will be coming soon and I can't have you stealing him away from me with the way you look."

"Yes Bella," I mumbled, and I threw on jeans and a lavender Muses t-shirt that hugged my body a little more than Arty's old shirt. I then went downstairs and poured some cereal, my hand hovering over my necklace as I waited for Cullen to show up.

"We match," Edward said upon entry. He looked over at me. "Mara, may I talk to you for a moment."

"Y-Yes," I muttered, seeing the look in his horrid yellow eyes, and I scurried over to the front porch.

"You don't like me," he said in an icy, soft, eerie whisper that set my nerves on fire. "I see that you want to get rid of me, and I can see a hint of a secret. . ."

I panicked as he squinted a bit, and started humming a few bars of "American Pie" in hopes that maybe he wouldn't be able to discover my own secret. Finally he sighed and stopped.

"You have a strong mind," he said. "I will soon discover your secret." He then pushed me inside so hard I fell to the floor. "You're just as clumsy as your sister!" He called as Bella joined him out the door. She glared at me with jealousy, and slammed the door, leaving me lying in the foyer.

I crawled to my feet, and stripped off the t-shirt and jeans, and threw them into my laundry hamper. I walked outside, barefoot, and stood in the middle of the damp grass tickling my feet, and spread my arms out like the branches of a tree. I turned my face to the sky and closed my eyes, feeling the embrace of the light. I released my blond hair and let it dangle down my back.

It was electrifying and I'd come to enjoy doing it in Forks since sunlight was so rare.

When I was done sun-bathing, I drew all over my sketchbook and hummed some more bars to "American Pie."

"Do you recall the feel that was the day the music died? We were singin' bye, bye, Miss American Pie, drove a Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry, and good ole' boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing this'll be the day that I die."

"I don't find that to be good taste," I heard Edward say as he returned to the house in the late afternoon with Bella as she talked with Billy Black outside. "The seventies were horrible."

"Look, I know good music when I hear it," I snapped. "American Pie's a classic, Cullen."

"You're toxic for Bella, always make her feel bad about herself and us," he snapped. "You need to stop."

"I haven't been doing anything!" I protested. "Leave me alone, please. Go ahead, date my sister, I don't care!" I then ran up to my room, and grabbed my white dress and the flats I borrowed from Bella and ran into the shower. I took it as quickly as possible to please the Queen of Sheba, and sprayed myself with the citric perfume I'd gotten as a gift from Kayla.

I then styled my hair into a bun twisted at the back of my head, and applied a bit of shimmery pink lip gloss and light brown eyeshadow with a bit of black mascara. _Thank Zeus for the Aphrodite girls_ , I thought as I applied a bit of natural-looking blush.

I walked downstairs, where Charlie was waiting. I'd put my necklace and money into a wallet I could comfortably slip down my bra, and descended the stairs with some grace.

"You look beautiful, Marlene," he said, and he pulled out a camera and began taking pictures for Mom.

"Thanks, Charlie," I said with a smile. "Thanks for driving me." I let the words sink in even further. "Thanks for taking me in this spring. I'm truly grateful."

He managed to smile. "It means a lot for you to say that, Marlene."

I smiled even wider, and my arm slipped onto his. "I guess we should go, then," I said.

"Let's."

As soon as we were in the car, Charlie slipped in his Bon Jovi CD, and we belted out the lyrics happily. I'd never known before tonight that he liked that music as much as I did.

"Have a good time, Marlene," he said as I stepped out.

"I will," I promised.

"I'll pick you up at nine." The squad car then sped off, and I turned to the high school building with my jacket, and payed the entrance fee. I stashed my things in the locker room, and moved out into the renovated gym.

"Footloose" played through the deafening speakers like hypnotic siren song, drawing me in, making me begin to kick my shoes, and twirl around with a smile on my face. The dance drew off, and I continued to go at it until I was red in the face. I downed a cup of punch, and then went back onto the dance floor.

 _"She moves like she don't care, smooth as silk, cool as air,"_ Debbie Harry's voice crooned as I stepped out into the center to the beat. _"Ooh it makes you wanna cry, shedoesn't know your name and your heart beats like a subway train. Ooh, it makes you wanna die."_

I twirled around, my arms swaying over my head, when I saw Patton, his collar a bit loose a little rough around the edges, but he was staring at me, his eyes taking each bit of my body in like a drink of water.

 _"Ooh, don't you wanna take her? Ooh, wanna make her all your own?"_ I twirled over a little closer to him.

 _"Maria, you gotta see her. Go insane and out of your mind! Latina, Ave Maria! A million and one candlelights!"_ I could hear Patton whispering the words in my ear throughout the song. For once, I felt sexy, and I kinda liked it. I liked the kind of attention he was giving me, as uninterested as I was before.

A slower song came on, and people began pairing up.

"Wanna dance?" He asked with a lop-sided grin on his face.

"I couldn't say no to a maverick like you," I said as my cheeks flushes, and he placed his hands around my waist.

 _"I gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over_

 _I better read between the lines, in case I need it when I'm older_

 _Now this mountain I must climb, feels like the world upon my shoulders_

 _Through the clouds I see love shine, it keeps me warm as life grows colder"_

We swayed, him being a bit clumsy.

"I was worried you were going to get dazzled by one of those stupid Cullens, with them being at your house so much," Patton said.

"I'm not interested in the supernatural," I said in a low voice. "I don't want something unnatural and cold like them."

"Really?" He shook his head, and there was a sadness in his eyes. "Mara, as much of a shrinking violet as you might seem, you've got a lot of light inside. You're brilliant, and you can be really funny and sweet. You almost deserve to be dazzled by someone supernatural."

He then laughed bitterly. "Maybe you'd get someone who actually deserved you."

I blushed. "I don't deserve anyone that great. Besides, you've only known me for two months."

"Long enough to know that you're something special," he replied.

I blushed even more and looked down at our feet.

 _"In my life there's been heartache and pain_

 _I don't know if I can face it again_

 _Can't stop now_

 _I've traveled so far_

 _To change this lonely life"_

"Besides, I can see you glow, you did when you were dancing. There was sunlight all around you, and I could see that you're really hot."

An involuntary smile spread across my face. "You think I'm hot?"

"Yeah." The grin spread across his face a little more.

"Well, I can say at least that you're cute," I said, taking in the shaggy dark bangs and the shadows of freckles on his face.

He laughed. "My face is really all I have claim to. That and cracking wise."

 _"I wanna know what love is_

 _I want you to show me_

 _I wanna feel what love is_

 _I want you to show me"_

"You're good for so much more," I told him.

"Well thanks, Beautiful, but I'm a bit ordinary for a girl like you," he said.

"Are you kidding? You're extraordinary! I don't need some sparkly bloodsucker like the Cullens, I don't want them either. I want you, an extraordinary mortal like you," I said in a low voice.

"Well, since we've gotten that out, I guess we should keep dancing?" He asked.

"I could go for that," I replied.

 _"I've got nowhere left to hide, it looks like love has finally found me_

 _In my life there's been heartache and pain_

 _I don't know if I can face it again_

 _Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life_

 _I want to know what love is, I want you to show me_

 _I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me_

 _I want to know what love is, I want you to show me_

 _(And I want to feel) I want to feel what love is_

 _(And I know) I know you can show me_

 _Let's talk about love, I want to know what love is_

 _The love that you feel inside, I want you to show me_

 _And I'm feeling so much love, I want to feel what love is_

 _No, you just can't hide, I know you can show me_

 _I want to know what love is (let's talk about love), I know you can show me_

 _I want to feel it too, I want to feel what love is_

 _I want to feel it too, and I know and I know, I know you can show me_

 _Show me love is real, yeah, I want to know what love is"_

It was great, dancing with him for the rest of the night. Even Charlie could see the excitement on my face.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked.

I nodded as I got in the car and waved to Patton. "It was fun."

"Patton Hartley, eh?" Charlie asked, narrowing his eyes distrustfully. "Boy's in all sorts of funny accidents, never says much. According to his folks, he's got some serious hallucinations. Not someone I'd exactly trust my daughter with."

"My father would've liked him," I mumbled as I looked out to the high school fading fast in the rearview mirror.

"I'm just saying be careful, that's all," Charlie said, looking a little uncomfortable.

When we came in, Bella was sitting all alone in the middle of the living room. She was so eager to go to bed. I didn't know what was going on when I'd walked into our room, and had begun to change when I did a double-take into the rocking chair, where Edward Cullen sat.

Before I could scream, he'd darted over to me and held his granite hand over my mouth.

"Don't fight me, you know you can't," Edward whispered. I tried to reach for under my pillow, where the dagger was, when I heard Bella's footsteps, and he let me go. I grabbed my blanket, pillow, and dagger, and went downstairs, where Charlie thankfully wasn't, and I'm here, on the couch.

It's terrifying, knowing that a mind-reader is upstairs, and thirsts for my sister's blood, or quite possibly my own.


	4. In Case I Need it When I'm Older

**03/11**

I awoke to see Cullen standing over me this morning. I grabbed my dagger, not afraid if he discovered my secret. All I cared about was protecting myself.

"Your knife can't hurt me," he laughed, a cruel laugh that steeled something up inside of me. I took a jab, and sparkling golden blood oozed out of his hand.

There was amazement and anger. "But nothing can hurt a vampire! Carlisle-"

"I can," I snapped. Right as I did, something inside of me snapped. I wad done being afraid of Edward Cullen. I was taking charge. "Listen here, you prissy diamond, I want to get one thing straight with you-you do not get to boss me around. Touch me again, and I will hack off your arm, I swear it to you now."

"You're serious," he noted. "Ah, I see you thinking of your secret now, yes, think it just a little more-"

"Stop!" I'd had enough, and I got to my feet, despite being much smaller than Cullen. "What gives you the right to read my mind?"

"The fact that I can," he said smugly. "Besides, you humans are all the same, there isn't something new to your minds."

"I don't care if I interest you or not, Cullen, but you can buzz off," I snapped. "Go to Hades."

"That's the thing that intrigues me about you, though. All your mannerisms, rooted with the Greeks. I'm close, aren't I?" A predatory smirk crossed his face.

I backed away in fear. "You don't get to know."

He advanced, and I began feeling for the doorknob, when he stopped, peeking his nose up. "Ah, you got lucky this time, Marlene." He then ran upstairs in a blur.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and ran out the door, next door. I didn't care that my feet were damp from the grass and that there might have been mud stuck to my feet or anything like that. Next door felt like a safe place. One of the two beat-up cars in the driveway were gone, so I knew his dad must've been at work.

I knocked on the door as much as possible. Silence.

"Patton, can you get that?" I heard Amber yell.

"Sure! Fine!" I heard him yell back.

I waited patiently at the door, and heard the door open. A Patton with circles under his eyes, shirtless in ratty sweatpants awaited me, and a smile spread almost involuntarily across my face.

"It's six in the morning," he groaned.

"So?" I asked.

"Most people sleep in, you know," he muttered.

I shrugged. "I get up with the sun, besides, would you sleep if Cullen was spending the night with your sister?"

He jerked awake at that. "Cullen spent the night? How has your dad not arrested that bloodsucker yet? Or at least put a restraining order on him?"

"He doesn't know," I admitted.

"We've got to do something about him," Patton declared. "I will not be living next door, next to _that_ bloodsucker in particular." He looked away, but I caught a particularly icy look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. "You seem to hate Edward in particular."

"It's just his self-righteousness," he assured me, although I felt like a piece was missing. "Come on in."

I followed him, and let the screen-door bang shut behind me. His house was small, dim, and a bit messy, but it looked like a home, and it looked cozy-I liked that. The shabby couch, the magazines scattered across the floor, the photos tacked to the wall-it was lived-in, and I appreciated that.

In the kitchen, Amber, the waitress with short black hair from Tuesday was waiting for some toast to come out, and tapped her Kelly-green fingernails against the countertop. Her thin lips spread into a smile.

"So this is Mara Sunrider, the girl you've been chatting my ear off about," she said, and she extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."

I accepted. "Nice to meet you."

Patton turned a bit pink in the corner of my vision. "That's great, Amber."

"Hey, someone has to keep your ego at a reasonable size," she said airily as she buttered her toast. "Do all your crushes come over in the morning in their pajamas? That's absolutely charming, Patton."

Both of us blushed, and she smirked like a cat and she sashayed out of the room.

"Wanna go sit down or something?" He asked, looking a bit flustered.

"Sure," I said, and I took a place on the dark green couch with floral designs that was spilling stuffing in some places.

"Sorry-"

"It's fine," I told him as he turned on the TV to MTV. He sat next to me, and we watched in silence for a while. I then gathered up the courage to touch his hair, silky and soft under my calloused fingers. I gathered sections when he turned to look over at me.

"What'cha doin'?" He asked as his smile emerged.

"Braiding your hair. I think you'd look good with braids," I decided. He snickered.

"You think so?" He teased.

"Well, let's see, then," I shot back. He laughed as I began to braid little strands of his hair. It was relaxing, in a way, just playing around with his hair, although we were both giggling like fools.

 _Hannah Montana_ re-runs played throughout the late morning, and finally, he turned to me again when I proclaimed myself done.

"My turn," he declared.

I grinned, and we switched positions as he undid my ponytail and began twisting my hair around as we both snarked off a little on Disney Channel. Amber was smiling knowingly as she walked out to go to her job at Bella Italia, and we just sat around all day.

At one point we got up from our spot on the couch to make lunch, which was just a sandwich each and a huge bowl of popcorn. It was great, cuddling on the couch, pressed against his warm body, munching on microwave popcorn and watching ridiculous sitcoms and cracking wise.

Maybe it wasn't some glamorous date, but it was enough for me.

I then saw Bella's truck and Billy's pull into the driveway. I broke away.

"I'd better get going," I said regretfully.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow," Patton said cheerfully as he got up with me. "It's been great, hanging out with you."

"Thanks," I said with a small blush. "You're a cool guy, Patton. Absolutely extraordinary."

"I'm just an extra," he said with some seriousness. I shook my head with a smile and exited, running into the front door. I got dressed into some real clothes and took a shower while Bella talked to Billy.

"Hello, Mara," he said when I came downstairs. "I see you were over next door for a while."

"Y-Yes," I admitted. "I'm friends with Patton Hartley."

"Ah, Hartley, I see," Billy nodded. "He's a good boy."

I smiled a little. "How have you been doing, Billy?"

"Fairly well, thanks for asking." He looked back at Bella as Jacob approached.

"There is no picture-hi, you're Bella's sister, right?" Billy's teenage son asked upon approach.

"Um, yes," I answered, and I stuck my hand out. "I'm Mara."

"Nice to meet you," he said. "Welcome to Forks."

"Thanks," I said. "Jacob, right?"

"In the flesh," he agreed.

"Yeah, Bella mentioned you." She glared at me.

I groaned, and stormed upstairs. "In my life there's been heartache and pain! I don't know if I can face it again!"

I didn't care if Bella heard me or anything.

"I wanna feel what love is! I know you can show me!" I sang as I looked out the window, to see Patton leaning out of it.

"That should be our song!" He called.

I grinned. "It should, shouldn't it?"

He smirked and turned away, as did I. At dinner that night, an interesting line of conversation came up.

"I spent the morning at the Cullen's house," Bella announced. I stared at her in horror.

"What were you doing there?" Charlie asked.

"I'm kinda friends with Edward Cullen, and I'm going to play baseball with them tonight... Dad, are you okay?" Charlie had a stunned facial expression.

"He's too old for you, and looks scary," he said.

Thank you! I thought.

"He's seventeen, Dad," Bella whined.

"Wait, which one are you talking about?" Charlie asked.

"The youngest one with reddish-brown hair," Bella said dreamily.

"Oh, alright then," he said, and then he looked over to me. "Spend any time with Patton Hartley today?"

"I went over to his house, we watched TV, played with each other's hair, it was great," I said enthusiastically. Bella shot me a haughty, proud look, as if she was somehow superior to me. I looked down at my dinner plate.

"That's wonderful, Marlene," he said with some forced cheer. "I'm glad both of you are in new relationships. Just. . . Be careful, okay?"

"I will," I promised immediately. Bella was silent.

We waited around the couch as Edward came in.

"Good evening, sir," he said in that cold, falsely elegant voice I've come to hate. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Charlie answered cooly with suspicion. "I hear you're getting my girl to play baseball."

"That's the plan," Edward laughed.

"All the more power to you, then," Charlie chuckled. Bella stood, looking uncomfortable.

"Alright, let's go." She and Edward exited as they got in the big red Jeep. As soon as it pulled out of the driveway through the sheets of rain, I looked over to Charlie, who was looking at me.

"You don't like him, do you?" He asked sympathetically.

I shook my head, and he chuckled.

"I don't much either, but I couldn't let Bella know that. I just get bad vibes around him. I like the Cullens and all, and I know he saved her life a few months ago, but I just don't like the way he looks at her, like she's food," he admitted. "Of course, you know I don't like Hartley much either, but at least he seems to treat you with respect. You may not be my biological daughter, Marlene, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you."

"Thanks, Charlie," I said as a smile spread across my face.

"Wanna come in and watch the game, then?" He asked.

"Sure."

Everything was going fine until later that night.

"Go away, Edward!" She yelled as she ran up the stairs. I ran after her, and shut the door, where she was tossing clothes to Edward in a suitcase. I drew my broadsword, and got ready to fight.

"You're not going to take my sister," I hissed.

"Don't play with things you don't understand!" He hissed back.

"Did he hurt you?" Charlie demanded.

"NO!" Bella shouted back. I eyed her skeptically, and my eyes flicked over to Edward, who pushed the straps of the bag onto her since apparently she couldn't do it herself.

She burst out of the bedroom, and tried to push past Charlie, who grabbed her arm sharply.

"What happened?" He asked with a concerned look on his face. "Did the date not go well?"

"That's not it!" She yelled. "I really like him, Dad, and I can't put down more roots here! I can't do it anymore!"

"Bella, think about it, it's late out," he reasoned.

"I'll sleep in my truck," she said frostily.

"If you just hold out another week, Renée will be back," Charlie said.

That deflated her. "Mom?"

"Things aren't working out all that well in Florida. If Phil doesn't get a contract by the end of next week, they're going home to Phoenix," he told her.

Something in Bella's face tensed up. "It didn't work out, okay? I really hate Forks!" With that, she ran off, leaving a shocked Charlie who was beginning to cry.

"She left." He kept saying it over and over again, louder and louder with every word. "SHE LEFT!"

I instinctively hugged him as he started to cry. After he calmed down a bit, and seemed a bit unaware of what was going on, I ran out the door to the Cullens' house. I wasn't afraid of what I'd meet there.

Out of breath, I tumbled into the glass Cullen house, where I saw two vampires outside, lurking about with glowing red eyes. They locked onto me, and started to move forwards, when they quickly backed away as their eyes widened in pain.

I shot a glare at them, and marched into the house. I slammed the door shut behind me without so much as cracking the glass. With an olive-skinned vampire was the entire family, plus Bella.

Bella came forward, dressed in different clothes that were too big for her. "What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"I'm coming to rescue you," I announced as my chest heaved, and I took a two-handed grip on my sword. "Alright, Deadward, get away from my sister."

"You don't understand!" Bella stomped her foot. "There's a vampire that wants my blood, and they're going to protect me."

"Let me at them," I said. "I'll finish the job."

"You can't even hurt us with your sword," the big one scoffed.

I raised my hand and pointed my sword at him. "Do you want to test that theory?"

"Her strange metals can hurt us," Edward finally said.

"Fascinating," Dr. Cullen said. "Tell me, Miss Swan-"

"Sunrider," I snapped. "My name is Mara Sunrider."

The blond young man started at the name, and squinted at me, but no one else noticed.

"Sunrider, that's a weird name," the blond lady spat.

"It's my father's," I said with some pride. "Phoebus Sunrider."

The blond's eyes widened so much I wasn't sure they could get any wider. Finally, the pixie looked over at him and squeezed his arm, but his golden eyes were trained on me.

"We need to tell her," the blond said. "She can help us."

Everyone turned to dispute this further when two boys suddenly appeared out of the shadows.

"Nico! I don't think-" Will Solace peeled himself away from Nico Di Angelo's body and looked at me. "Mara! What are you doing?"

"Who are you?" Bella demanded. "Mara, how do you know these people?"

"Will's my brother," I said in a hollow voice. "And Nico's his boyfriend."

"I can't read his mind," Edward said. "How did you do that, Nico?"

"I prefer the Ghost King," Nico said frostily as he kept a hand on his nightmare-black sword. "And you don't get any answers from me, Stregoni Benefici." With that, he punched Edward in the face, leaving the imprint of his ring on his cheek.

"I dreamed that something had happened, and Nico volunteered to give me a ride," Will explained.

"Want me to explain?" I asked. "Because here's the simple version- the Cullens kidnapped my sister because apparently there's vampires that wanna kill her."

"Why in Hades would you do that?" Nico growled. He then banged his head against the wall three times before Will stopped him.

"Y'know, you lose brain cells when you do that," Will said good-naturedly.

Nico glared him, which was met with calm confidence from Will that finally returned him to his mission. "If you want us to go along with this idiotic plan, you need us to help," he said.

"Why would we let demi-" Edward's eyes widened. "Demigods?"

Everyone except for the blond male looked surprised. The blond male regarded us with a certain sadness that usually demigods carried in their eyes.

"Half god, half mortal?" Carlisle asked.

We all folded our arms over our chest and nodded.

"Some of us seem to be a little more immortal than others though," Will teased to Nico, who gave him a play-glare.

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Nico immediately flipped his middle finger at Edward. Will and I both were dying laughing.

"Get out!" Edward ordered, flying into a rage.

"Fine, F**** YOU!" Nico yelled, and he linked elbows with me and Will, and we reappeared at Charlie's house, on the doorstep.

"Phoenix, tomorrow," I said. "That's where they're going."

"Agreed," Will and Nico chorused. They then disappeared.

I then opened the door, and Charlie hugged me, sobbing. "Please don't leave," he begged.

"I won't, I won't," I promised, not even caring about my sword showing.

Tomorrow night, I'm going after them. I'll get my sister back.


	5. This Mountain I Must Climb

03/12

At school, I saw most of the Cullens. I took every chance I had to glare at them, and they'd glare right back. Not that I cared at all. I just wanted my sister back. She complained and was snotty, but she was my sister.

"I heard something going on last night at your house," Patton said as we walked to our classes. "What's going on?"

I gulped. "I-" I stopped and sighed. "I can't tell you that, Patton."

"Why not?" He asked.

"It's a private matter," I finally said.

"Oh." He relaxed. "Alright then. I understand."

"Thank you," I said.

After school though, was a different matter. I met with Will and Nico in the backyard. Charlie was still plenty distraught, and I didn't try to mess with that. I let him go through his cycles, and gave hugs when needed.

"We're going to need to figure out where she went," Nico said. "I can try the trick Will and I used to find you, but it will be difficult."

"Why don't I tell you the address of our house? Will that help?" I asked.

"A lot, actually," the son of Hades said in surprise.

I repeated the Scottsdale address.

"I might be able to nail that," Nico said as he glanced over at Will.

"Alright, I'll be ready, after Charlie goes to bed," I promised.

"We'll be waiting," Will added, and he and Nico turned away.

"You alright, Mara?" I turned to see Charlie standing in the doorway, looking a mess. I felt guilty about leaving to fight monsters in Arizona, but it was the only way I knew how to fix the mess that Bella and the Cullens had left behind.

"I'm fine," I told him. "Did you order the pizza?"

He nodded. I observed his face, the dark circles under his eyes, the sadness in it.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"So am I," he said, struggling to keep his voice even. "Do you know anything about what happened? About Cullen, about why she would want to leave?"

It took me a minute to find my voice. "She always hated it here until he showed up. I don't know if he hurt her or not, but he was stalking her. The night we went to Port Angelos? Bella wandered into an alley, and he saved us from some bad people... He made me come with them, made me ride in the car with him. I-I-"

I took a shuddering breath as the tears started. "Cullen doesn't like me at all, and I can't say that the feeling isn't mutual."

"He stalked you?" Charlie became concerned. "I think he might've hurt her after all."

Even though I knew the full story, a part of me believed that.

"Come on, let's go inside."

After I was sure Charlie was asleep at ten that night, I snuck out of my room. My broadsword was exposed and in my hand, and my knife was in a sheath I could easily pull it out of. I threw on a red leather jacket I'd gotten for my past birthday, and laced up my hiking boots, and snuck out to the kitchen. My hand shook as I wrote a note to Charlie.

 _Dear Charlie,_

 _I'm sorry, I have to do this. I'm going to find Bella because I think she's in big trouble. If I'm not back in two days, find the folder under my mattress-but don't do it before then. I have to try, for my sister. I want to bring her back to you._

 _Even if you aren't my real father, I do care about you, and you deserve better than this._

 _Your step-daughter,_

 _Mara_

I then killed the lights and stepped out onto the porch where the night-light glowed dimly. I made sure the door was locked, and kept a steady hand in the sun-shaped hilt of my dagger.

"Hey!"

I turned around, drawing my knife in a reflex, only to see Patton on his front porch. The light around him darkened his face, but there was clearly the glimmer of my sword and dagger and the light.

 _Oh crap._

"What are you doing?" He started marching out to the yard. "I was going to check on you, make sure you were okay, when I find that you're outside with a sword and a knife. What the hell is going on, Mara?"

"Patton, I need to do this on my own," I said quickly. "Take care of Charlie for me."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" He put his hands up. "You're leaving?"

I looked over hopelessly to where I was supposed to be meeting Nico and Will. "I'm going to find Bella, and I'm taking care of the Cullens once and for all."

"You're going to kill him?" Patton asked, starting to visibly freak out. "Vampires are practically indestructible. I hate to say it, but it's true. If they want your sister for that, she's already dead!"

"How do you know that?" I demanded as my worst fears began to rise to the surface. "You don't! There's still a chance that I can save her, that I can rescue my sister! I can kill them without too much trouble, hopefully."

"I don't want you getting hurt," Patton said, tears starting up. "I've seen what vampires leave behind, I've seen how they think nothing of hurting humans. As much as I hate to admit it, nothing can stop them!"

"Well, I can," I said solemnly. "It's what I do."

"What you do?" Patton closed his eyes for a moment and folded his hands. "Some things aren't adding up, Mara. You know so much about the supernatural, and you claim that you can destroy vampires. You glow, and I know you've referred to me as a 'mortal' once. What exactly are you?"

"It's not important right now," I said helplessly, my eyes flickering back to the shadows.

"It's extremely important!" Patton cried. "How long were you going to go without telling me that you weren't human?"

"I'm still mostly human," I corrected him, and then I winced. "I don't know. I couldn't tell you on day one-"

"You could've told me when I told you that Cullen was a mind-reader, or you told me that he was a vampire, or any time since I told you I knew about the supernatural! I would've believed you, I would've supported you, Mara!" He yelled.

"I felt normal around you!" I yelled back. "You made me feel more human, and less like the daughter of the sun god!"

He stepped back in shock. "You're a demigod."

I nodded, with trembling clenched fists. "The daughter of Apollo."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded.

I glanced over to where Nico and Will were waiting.

"Never mind," he spat, disgusted. "You've got somewhere to be. Go ahead, do it. Try not to think about me." He turned around and stormed off into his house and slammed the door behind him. I stared helplessly at his house, and then walked over to Nico and Will.

"Anybody we need to worry about?" Nico asked.

I shook my head and swiped my tears away quickly. "Let's finish the job."

We shadow-traveled to Phoenix.


	6. Feels Like the World is on My Shoulders

**03/12**

We waited in the house, when we heard some creaking around in the early morning hours. I got up from my sleeping hideout I'd made by the stairs, and I got a glimpse of a nearly shirtless man that was as pale as other vampires. He walked over to the phone, and I heard home videos going off.

"What the Hades is going on?"

I jumped to see Nico on one side of me, and Will right next to him.

"Gods, Nico, you're going to give me a heart attack!" I hissed. I heard a creak on the floorboards, and I pushed Nico and Will down from the view of the intruder in the house. After a few minutes, he returned to watching videos, and then began talking on the phone, but I couldn't make out the words.

"Is that one of them?" Will asked.

"No," I whispered. "Someone else."

"That's great," Nico snarled. "Any ideas on how we're going to go find your sister?"

I shrugged. "I think she'll be here soon."

I was wrong, it was when the sun was beginning to set when Bella entered, all alone, only to leave about twenty minutes later. I saw that Will and Nico were sleeping, so I got up to do it by myself. I followed her, wondering when a Cullen would rejoin her as she walked to the old ballet studio we used to take lessons at.

I followed her as stealthily as possible into the big room of mirrors.

"So, you've arrived. Very good, Bella," a vampire's voice purred. I hid behind a pillar, hoping my reflection didn't show to the others. I did see a shirtless man, the same one in the house before, and I shivered.

"Ah, your friend Alice, she was my old prey. Poor girl, locked in an asylum because she spouted prophecies, green eyes and green smoke. It drove her captors insane some days. They made her forget," the tracker said, and I perked up.

 _Was Alice a host to the Oracle of Delphi?_

I heard a long pause, and then a growl of fury.

"Someone's in here, you lying b-"

I turned, and transformed my necklace into the broadsword and pulled my dagger out.

"Ah, a poor, confused girl that thinks that she can defeat a vampire," he laughed, and then he knocked Bella angrily into the mirrors. In a fury, I leapt at him, and made for a swing with my broadsword, only for him to dodge.

I began toward him, and we traded blows with my sword and knife. He kicked my leg, and I fell over, and quickly stopped his hand with the flat of my sword, and I grudgingly got back on my feet again. He tried to punch, but I scratched him with my knife and golden blood seeped out. At one point, he reached and scratched part of my face, near the forehead, down the temple, outlining the left side of my face.

I felt warm and a little disoriented from the loss of blood, right as the Cullens ran in. Jasper took one glance at me and nodded approvingly. Emmett joined alongside me, and we surrounded the tracker. I threw my dagger as Emmett and Jasper pinned him down, and it hit its mark. The tracker dissolved into dust.

I turned over to Bella. Jasper and Emmett ran out of the room, covering their noses. Edward looked mopey over Bella as Carlisle worked on removing glass. I could then see her losing the will to fight. Alice knelt beside her as well.

In that moment, I could see her life force fading. I closed my eyes, remembering an ability Will had told me about. I'm good with medicine, but I wasn't sure how far that extended. During the civil war, one of the daughters of Apollo, a Roman one, I believe, was in the middle of Shiloh when she was in charge of the demigod infirmary. Using her own life-force, she healed several soldiers, at the cost of her own life.

It was my turn to make a sacrifice. I looked at Carlisle, who nodded, as if he sensed what I was about to do. I closed my eyes again, and placed my hands over Bella's heart, and focused on transferring the light inside of me into her, restoring her own life and effectively healing her.

I saw my life flash before my eyes. I saw myself dancing with my sister in the studio, smiling and laughing. I saw my mother playing the piano, and heard the sweet if awkward melodies that used to be played and Bella and I trying our own hands at it. I remembered fighting in the Battle of the Labryinth and the Battle of Manhattan, even the Giant War. I remembered playing Capture the Flag with my half-siblings.

I opened my eyes and saw some of the blood disappearing, a few of the cuts beginning to knit up, and I began to feel a little dizzy and surreal. I closed my eyes and dived in again. I remembered fights with Will and Kayla over the radio in the Apollo Cabin. I remembered letting my voice go free in the summer. I remembered playing the piano myself, and how Bella would look on jealously and my mother with pride.

I dived deeper and deeper-into my core memories, some of the biggest things that made me who I was, and the things that would determine my fate still.

 _Mom was playing the piano again, lost in her own little world. I had approached her, little four-year-old me, with a question. Bella, being seven at the time was talking in the phone with Charlie._

 _"I'm busy, Mara, I'm talking to Daddy," she'd said in a hushed voice._

 _"Can I talk to Daddy?" I'd foolishly asked._

 _She scowled at that. "He's my Daddy, not your daddy."_

 _Confused, I had gone to Mom for answers._

 _"Mom, who is my daddy?" I had asked. "Bella talks to her daddy, but I don't have one."_

 _She'd smiled with a hint of a worry, and she pulled me onto her lap and she stroked my hair, silent for a moment._

 _"You do have a father, my little Sunshine." She'd laughed at her own inside joke. "He couldn't stay, but he loves you very much."_

 _"He's never even seen me!" I'd pouted._

 _Mom laughed again. "I think he did, when you were a little baby," she admitted. "And he watches over you every day." She had then pulled the emerald curtains aside to let the sun shine through. She pointed up to the sun, which I squinted at._

 _"Da's the sun, Mommy," I'd said proudly and slightly confused._

 _"Your father is Apollo, and he drives the sun across the sky," she'd told me. "He sees you when the sun is over you."_

 _I'd waved to the sun._

* * *

 _The day is June 8. It is my school's talent show, and I'm playing the piano in the fourth grade. In the dolled-up sky-blue dress I waited for my turn. My hands were clammy around the gauzy skirt of the dress. When I stepped out onstage, though, I began to lose myself in the music, let myself be taken away by the piano version of "A Thousand Miles". I looked up at the crowd, and found my family, smiling and cheering, even Bella for once._

 _I smiled back at them, and a light drew my attention. On the back wall, I saw a blond man in his twenties, in a pop-star get up. I would've expected to see the likes of him on a magazine, but I knew with the glow like sunlight and the warm feeling I'd had that was the same as the feeling I had when I stood in the sun that I was in the presence of my father, Apollo._

 _I'd grinned and continued, really feeling the music and the glow of my father's approval and presence._

* * *

 _War waged around me in the streets of New York City. I was the healer for my block. People were dying and falling around me with wounds I just couldn't heal. I heard the clang as an Athenian child fell in battle and their standard sword from camp clattered to the pavement._

 _In a moment of determination, I picked up the sword, and unleashed myself at the monsters as they came at me. For Lee Fletcher, for my brothers and sisters that had died in the Battle of the Labyrinth, for my friends who had been killed in the Titan War already._

 _As soon as all the living had fled the streets, I retreated through a long, snaking path down the sleeping alleyways, and back into the base of operations in the Empire State Building. I shook with the battle rage. I had been a hero that day in the traditional sense._

* * *

 _We sang and danced with our Roman siblings, celebrating a peace after thousands of years. We sang and cried for those children of the sun who had left us, and we all were shouting out the word that was on our lips, singing in our mind, the word that was every essence of the night- Hallelujah._

* * *

More flashes came and went, Patton and I dancing, Capture the Flag games, the first time I ever heard my favorite song (Good Riddance by Green Day). The pictures in my mind floated and the soundtrack of my life, my mother's voice, the piano music of the day my father came, my favorite song, Bella's laughter, arrows flying by, and the word, my favorite word after the Giant War-HALLELUJAH!

It all went faster and faster, snippets and breaths, my entire life pumping through me with my sacrifices.

I heard my mother's voice say something I'd never remembered until now, as if it were locked into my brain until the important time, the life-changing climax.

 _"My little sunshine. You have enough life and light within you to burn the darkness away and transform it into something beautiful."_

I heard the words repeated, faster and faster. I looked at Bella. I needed one last burst to get her to a range where she could be moved to a hospital. I was beginning to feel the agony of my life-force being sapped away and could barely keep pouring my energy out.

I moaned, trying to hold it back but not being able to.

"Keep going," Carlisle whispered encouragingly. "I know you can. Please, don't stop."

I closed my eyes again, and I saw a white light that led me to a place that was familiar yet I was sure that I'd never seen it before. A part of me, the oracle part of me, knew that it was my future.

* * *

 _A little boy with Patton's blue-grey eyes and my light hair is sitting next to a girl that looks similarly to him, and another little girl with his hair and my eyes. All three of them are play-acting with fake swords and shields around a Christmas tree._

 _I glance over at Patton, and his gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. I smile and look back at the three darling kids._

 _"Thank the gods Aunt Bella didn't come this year," I muttered._

 _"And Edward Cullen," Patton added with a smirk. I smiled back as the dark-haired daughter attacks the other two with vigor and passion. There's shrieks and laughter and I can hear the music in the background. Everything is perfect._

* * *

Music plays as the images of past, present, and future flash, again and again, little snatches and bits.

 _"Ave Maria!"_

 _"Take the photographs and still-frames in your mind,"_

 _"I wanna know what love is! I want you to show me!"_

 _"Make the best of this lesson known as life,"_

 _"Bye bye Miss American Pie!"_

 _"For what it's worth, it was worth all the while"_

 _"A million and one candlelights!"_

 _"It's always unpredictable and in the end it's right"_

Then there was silence for a moment.

 _"I hope you had the time of your life."_ I was pulled back and jerked into presence, by Jasper to my surprise. He shook me gently as possible as the room began to swirl at the edges.

"Mara, you've saved her, you have to let go," he ordered, and in a moment of selfishness, I jerked my hand away. My weakened body hit the floor, and then everything went to black.

 _"I hope you had the time of your life."_


	7. Through the Clouds I See Love Shine

**03/13**

I felt dizzy and disoriented. My vision as fuzzy as I blinked and returned to life. My vision sharpened and I could see an IV in my arm, and I was lying in a hospital bed. A nurse hurried over to me, looking relieved.

"You scared us, sweetie," she explained. "Let me get your mother in. She's really worried about you."

"Where's Bella?" I slurred.

"She's receiving a transfusion right now," she replied calmly as she smoothed down my sheets. "We have no idea how she's still alive right now. It's a miracle. She must be stubborn."

I kept my mouth shut. The nurse checked my stats, and quickly walked out. Almost five seconds later, Mom ran in and embraced me as best she could with all my wires.

"You're alive!" She cried, and tears dripped down onto my hospital gown. "You had me so scared."

"What happened?" I asked.

"They were losing you for reasons they couldn't explain, as if something was sapping your life away. It was terrifying, they were still in surgery with Bella at the time, and. . . At least it stopped when Bella stabilized. I'm grateful that both of you are going to live." Mom wiped some tears from her face, and I could see the circles under her face.

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"Just a day," Mom said soothingly. "Your half-brother's worried about you, and a boy flew down with Charlie just to make sure that you were okay."

"Patton!" I sat up straight.

"Yes, that was his name," she recalled. "Terribly nice boy. Better than that Cullen that won't leave Bella's room."

"He's still here?" I demanded.

"Yes," she admitted. "He said that Bella fell down some steps and out a window, but he was at a loss as to what happened to you."

The nurse stepped out of the room, and I began my confession quickly.

"Mom, the Cullens are vampires. Bella was being hunted by other vampires, and I came to find her and bring her home, and ended up bringing down a vampire while I was at it," I explained in a whisper.

"But how does that explain what happened to you?" Mom hissed back.

"Bella was in bad shape, and I used my life-force to keep her alive," I confessed.

The brown eyes I'd inherited from Mom widened. "That's why..."

"Yes, that's why," I confirmed. She hugged me.

* * *

 **03/14**

I've been discharged, and Bella's going to be here for a little while. I got to talk to Patton as soon as I stepped out to the waiting room. He hugged me.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into my ear. "I'm sorry I got jealous. All I could think was that the last thing I'd said to you were angry words."

"It's alright. You were right, I should've told you sooner," I said evenly.

We just hugged, and let the E.R. go on around us.

Finally, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice came over and exchanged glances before Jasper began.

"We'd like to apologize for our actions," he said with a hint of a drawl. "We've been incredibly rude, and you've proved that you are more than competent. We give you our respect. Rosalie."

Emmett nudged her, and she jumped, and pulled a medallion out of her pocket with a lion and clovers for a crest. She had it on a golden chain, and she placed it in my hand, closing my fingers around it.

"You have the thanks of the Olympic Coven," she whispered with a smile of respect.

"Thank you," I said, as I stared at the medallion. "I will treasure it always." I then placed it in my pocket, and turned to see Nico and Will. Will hugged me quickly.

"I thought we'd lost you," he said. "Thank the gods for Jasper. He was able to figure out what you were doing, and we've been compiling notes on your techniques."

"Well, I'm still alive," I said with a shrug.

"And we're grateful," Nico added.

* * *

 **03/17**

Bella finally woke up today. I was stuck in the room with Edward, who refused to talk to me, and I to him. When she opened her eyes, I felt a sharp pain, slowly spreading to where she would be feeling it. The two of them prattled on until I had another coughing fit, a side-effect I was experiencing often from bonding my life force with Bella's. I also inured myself to the pain.

"You saved me. Why didn't you make me a vampire, Edward? I want to be Superman, not Lois Lane all the time," she whined. I absolutely lost it there.

"He saved you?" I hissed angrily, and I pushed Redward to the side, and stared Bella down. "I don't know what delusions you're harboring, _sister of mine_ , but let's make this clear-" I had another coughing fit interrupt, "- _I_ saved your life. I have my own power, as you very we'll know, and I sacrificed my own life force to yours in order to save you."

"But Edward could've made me a vampire!" She whined.

Anger rose in within me and a sadness. "And to think that I was giving my life up so you could live. I guess I was wrong." With that, I walked back to the waiting room, bumping into Mom briefly. Right when I was about to cross over back into the waiting room, I felt my heart beating faster and faster for no apparent reason-and with the false sensation of broken ribs, it hurt so much that I cried out in pain and leaned against the wall.

Nurses started to come over with the defib paddles, and I crumpled when my heart stopped and everything went black around the edges. I then felt excruciating pain in my chest and blacked out.

When I awoke about twenty minutes later, the nurses were freaking out.

"It happened the exact same time it happened to her sister," one nurse reported apologetically.

"I don't understand, she was just fine when she got discharged a few days ago," a doctor said, looking frustrated and worried.

"W-W-What happened?" I asked as my heart beat with terror.

"You had a heart attack," the doctor said, looking over to me. "Your heart is in perfect condition, otherwise, but we also have reason to believe that there are some sort of phantom pains that you are experiencing. Is this correct?"

"Yes," I'd moaned.

It's going to be a few days. They want to make sure I'm stable before they relocate Bella to Forks and I go back. I'm scared. What is happening to me?


	8. It Keeps Me Warm as Life Grows Colder

**09/17**

Bella has healed completely in the last few months. However, I'm still recovering for the events of March. I was discovering that my heart skips a beat or speeds up violently when Deadward is romancing my utterly ungrateful sister.

Patton and I had grown back together, and with a new project.

"I don't want to be powerless, I wanna help you fight monsters," he said to me my first day back in Forks. "I want to be there fighting with you."

We'd been tinkering with a mortal shotgun and creating Celestial bronze bullets that could be loaded in and giving Patton a chance to work with this, for him to be more equal with me.

Today was Bella's birthday. She was ungrateful once again the entire day, being irritable about getting any gifts from anyone and the party that the Cullens were throwing for her. It was heartbreaking, watching her, and annoying.

I sometimes wish that I hadn't bonded our life forces together last March. Sometimes, I wish that she would've just left us last March in the ballet studio rather than make us watch her leave in her long, drawn-out way. It's painful to see her become more and more addicted to Edward Cullen and his family.

After she left, Charlie turned the TV to a football game, and I heard a knock on the door.

"I guess your boy's over," Charlie said with a smile.

I smiled back, and leapt up from the couch and skipped over to the door, and opened to see Patton indeed. We hugged quickly.

"Hey, Sunshine," he said as I closed the door behind him, and he made himself at home on the couch on the far end from Charlie, leaving the middle spot between them for me.

Over the last months, Charlie was nicer to Patton for my sake, and they were getting along a lot better that he and Edward were, despite Bella's delusions to the contrary. It was nice to see them getting along, since besides my half-siblings and Mom, they are currently the most important people in my life.

As the game went on, I gasped. I looked down at my finger, expecting to see a drop of blood from a paper cut, but there was nothing.

"Mara? Mara?"

I screamed when it felt like my arm was being split open by glass. I fell off the couch, nursing my arm that burned like hellfire. I could vaguely hear shouts around me, but I was in too much pain and shock from my arm.

"Mara, you've got to calm down," Patton said as he got to his knees in front of me.

"I thought that these phantom pains were supposed to stop," Charlie said as he helped me sit up. "Your therapist said that you wouldn't need her anymore. They were supposed to be gone."

I shook my head through tears. "I'm not sure that there will ever be an end."

"Just take deep breaths," Charlie advised, and he got to his feet and looked over at Patton. "I'm calling her trauma therapist. This is getting out of hand. Just make sure it doesn't get worse.,

Patton nodded, having gotten used to the routine, although this was the worst I'd had since Bella's cast was removed. I tried to breath in and out slowly and deeply to at least calm my heart rate.

"Gah!" I felt my arm, but it was like it was numb. "I can't feel my arm," I moaned.

"Hold on, Sunshine," Patton said as he held my hand. He looked over at Charlie. "Her arm's gone numb!"

Charlie's eyes widened, and he began talking in more panicked tones into the phone. After a few minutes, he set it down, and came over to me with a pill case that I only used in severe cases like this one.

"Here, she said to take one of these, it should make it stop." He passed me the pills that Apollo had secretly slipped into the office for me. I took one, and I could feel my arm again, and it wasn't in pain anymore. I moved my arm tentatively, and slowly got to my feet.

"Thanks, Charlie," I said, and I hugged him. I then turned and hugged Patton.

"It's alright, Sunshine," he repeated into my hair. "It's gonna be alright."

We eventually sat down and watched the rest of the game. When Bella came home, I wasn't too surprised to see her stitched-up arm.

"What happened?" Charlie asked.

"I fell into a glass table at the Cullens' house," she said with her practiced lies. I knew it was something more from hearing her lie all the time. "I'm going to go to bed."

I turned to Patton. "Thanks for being here tonight for me."

"It's no problem, Sunshine," he then he kissed me before ducking out onto the doorstep.

When I went inside my room, after changing in the bathroom as I'd gotten used to because of stupid Redward Cullen, and saw him nursing her and singing to her some lullaby.

I looked over at both of them.

"What really happened tonight?" I growled.

"Nothing," they chorused.

"To Hades it was nothing!" I hissed, and I gestured at my left arm. "I felt everything, Bella!"

"You silly, fragile, humans," Edward said, shaking his head. "So delicate and strange."

I slapped his diamond face as hard as I could, although my hand hurt. "Say one more thing like that and I'll introduce my broadsword to your face, do you understand?"

With that, I dived under the covers.

* * *

 **09/18**

He left her. He left her! Gods, I'm not sure whether I should hate or love Cullen for this.

Bella was all out of sorts because he wasn't talking to her today, and the dependent twit was suffering from withdrawal. I just ignored her as Patton and I had another snuggle and re-runs and braiding morning, as was our little dating tradition for Saturdays. I didn't care-why should I?

All I know was that I was over there, when Charlie knocked at the door. Patton and I both came to answer it, and the Good Chief Swan stood in the doorway, looking dead serious and a little scared.

"You need to come home right now, Marlene. Bella hasn't come home."

I helped search for hours, as did Patton, and I felt cold, like I'd been lying lifeless in the pouring rain. I was shivering violently when Charlie insisted I go home, and Patton came with me.

"I hate this," I growled through chattering teeth as I got rid of my boots and raincoat, and Patton tossed me a blanket. "I-I-I h-hate being so f-f-fragile."

"It'll get better soon," he promised as he sat down beside me.

"Thanks for being here for me," I said as I took his face into my hands. "I've really needed you lately."

"That's what I'm here for, Sunshine," he said and we got closer and were making out when they ushered Bella through the threshold. I pulled away, embarrassed, and Patton ran off to get more blankets.

"Did he leave you?" Charlie asked.

Bella just stared at him blankly.

"Bella, the Cullens left today. Did Ed-"

She started screaming and clapped her hands over her ears, and she ran upstairs, knocking poor Patton onto his back and he skidded down the stairs. I ran over to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Not really," he groaned, and his arm was sticking out at an odd angle.

"Let's get you to a doctor," Charlie said. "Mara, could you stay here and watch over Bella."

I nodded and gave Patton a quick kiss on the cheek before jogging up the stairs to see that our room had been ransacked, including photographs, CD albums, just about anything that Edward had ever been associated with that Charlie wouldn't miss.

I'm going over to help Patton out tomorrow, and I just hope that Bella won't be like this forever.


	9. In My Life

**09/19**

The next morning, I got dressed in somewhat suitable clothing while Bella stayed asleep, murmuring Edward's name. It was nice, getting to sleep without the creepy vampiric stalker in Bella's bed.

I jogged downstairs and grabbed some pizza from last night for breakfast. Charlie stared over at me, and there was silence.

"Renée and I have been talking," he admitted quietly. I observed the circles under his eyes, and the sadness in them. "We think that it might be better for Bella to go back to Jacksonville. She already doesn't seem right, and-"

"I'd understand," I interrupted. "Can I stay in Forks?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Renée knew about you and Patton, and she actually approves of the boy, so she was thinking about letting you stay behind."

"Thanks, Charlie," I said. "I know it can't be easy, living with a. . . Reminder. . ."

We both went silent at that thought, and finally, Charlie spoke up again.

"Are you going to go to Patton's house?" He asked after a sip of black coffee.

"Yeah," I admitted. "How bad was it?"

"At least it was a clean break," he said. "He was hurting pretty bad, has a few nice bruises from his fall down the stairs, too. Just don't be too disappointed if he doesn't want you to see him like that."

I nodded. "Don't worry, I won't. I hope nothing too bad happens at work."

"Well, I'll try," he said as he mustered a small smile. "I hope everything goes alright with the boy. Heaven knows he'd never try a stunt like Cullen did, and you'd break his ribs if he did."

More silence, and I decided to leave then. I grabbed my coat, and marched over the damp lawn as the rain beat down around me and I stepped onto the front porch and knocked. There were a few shouts as to who was going to get the door. Patton's family wasn't home all that much, but his dad didn't like me all that much, but his sister did, probably because I didn't insult her like Bella.

"Hey, Mara," Amber said brightly when she got the door. "Patton's being a bit irritable today, so enter at your own risk."

"I'm not afraid," I teased.

"Brave words," she shot back with a smirk. She stepped aside, let me take off the rain boots and jacket, and I walked into the room. Patton was sitting there, shirtless with sweatpants, looking downright miserable.

"Hey, Mara, your sister sucks," he called as I sat down next to him,

"There's no arguing that," I agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"Downright helpless," he admitted. "I need help getting clothes on and off, writing since she had the decency to break my right arm, and everything just sucks, if you know what I mean."

"I get it." I looked around. "Need me to get anything for you?"

"Not really."

"Want to do anything?"

"Like what?"

"Talk, I guess?" I shrugged.

"Talking's fine," he agreed. "So it's true, Cullen's gone?"

"Every last one of them," I confirmed.

He gave off a loud whoop that sent Amber into the room.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"I told him the good news about the Cullens," I explained.

"Wait, they really are gone?" I nodded.

Her face brightened, and she actually hugged me before skipping out of the room humming something like "Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead!"

"So that's why Bella was so mopey," he realized.

I nodded.

"I wish I could've thrown a party," he said as he sank into the worn couch.

"The Quilquetes burned lots of bonfires last night," I told him. "They were partying pretty hard last night, and an anonymous call, Billy Black thinks the Cullens themselves called the cops on them, but they let them keep celebrating."

"Damn, the Quilquetes might be my new favorite people," Patton said as he shifted restlessly. "Wish I could've joined them rather than be stuck in the emergency room last night."

"So do I," I said. "You sure you don't need anything?"

"Yeah," he said. "There's no need to Florence Nightingale over me."

"Hey, I care!" I shot back, putting my hands up. He pulled me close with his left arm, and we were snuggling until Bella wandered in with a zombie-like trance.

"Did she even knock?" Patton whispered. I shook my head.

"Charlie must've told her where I was if she needed me," I whispered back. When I saw Bella's eyes, I froze in horror. They were glazed over, and they looked empty. She stared at us blankly, and then she started hitting Patton and me, trying to rip us apart. I finally got to my feet, and slapped her, despite feeling it myself.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"Too painful. . ." She murmured. "Reminds me. . . Of him."

I looked over at Patton. "Crap, if our relationship reminds her of her and Edward, we need to have some work."

He managed a small smile, but then I was punched in the stomach by Bella.

"Don't say his name!" She screeched. "Besides, you don't understand, Mara. Our love was the most pure, the deepest of all time! You and Charlie don't understand!"

"The purest, deepest?" I arched an eyebrow, and crossed my arms over my chest. "You were only together for six months."

She blocked her ears and ran away. I looked over to Patton. "Now where were we?"

 **November**

Bella's still moping. Patton's starting to heal. Next month, his cast should be off, hopefully. We're going to have an anti-Cullen party with a bonfire and a sacrifice to the gods for the good fortune in getting rid of them.

 **December**

It was great! We had so much fun, and we just downright partied even though it's been three months. Patton has gotten his cast off. Bella's still lifeless.

 **01/16**

Today was Patton's birthday, but today was also when Charlie decided that he'd had enough with Bella.

"I'm sending you back to Jacksonville with Renée!" He finally said, banging his spoon on the table.

"I didn't do anything," Bella said in that hollow, empty voice.

"That's the problem," Charlie began. "You never do anything. Honey, I know you're heartbroken, but you shouldn't let it control your life."

"Do you want me to get in trouble?" She asked as she looked at both of us, confused.

"No! I just want you to not be miserable all the time, to not try so hard. I don't think I can bear to watch it anymore. Maybe if you-"

"NO!" She screamed as she got to her feet.

"Honey, you aren't coping," Charlie said, a painful look on his face. "When your mom left me. . . Well, that was a rough time for me. But I lived, I tried my best to move on."

I felt guilty right then for existing. I was a physical reminder of Mom stealing his daughter away in the middle of the night. I knew that wasn't something easy to live with, and I wished that Charlie didn't have to deal with that to begin with.

But as I observed his face, I smiled inside at how we had gotten closer in the year I'd been in his house, and how I'd come to feel for him. Watching Bella had hurt both of us, and we'd bonded over our pain.

"You aren't coping. You're holding on, and I think we both know that he isn't coming back," Charlie finished, and he looked about ready to cry. Bella still looked emotionless except for a small swirl of anger.

She got to her feet. "I'm going out with Jessica tonight," she announced. Then she left, and left me behind, which meant I'd have to ask Patton for a ride. I couldn't wait for Driver's Ed when I turned fifteen in February.

"I'm sorry," I told Charlie, and I then walked over into Patton's yard, where there was trail worn from me walking on the lawn to his place. He was leaning against a beat-up pickup truck, and he smiled.

"Hey, Mara, need a ride?" He asked.

"That'd be great, thanks," I said, and I hopped into the shotgun seat. "How's it going at your place?"

His face went stony as he started the ignition.

"That bad, huh?" I tried to read his face, but he was staring at the road, making it hard.

"My dad doesn't like you much," he admitted. "Because you remind him of, well, her."

I'd learned that Patton's mom had died in some sort of accident ten years back, and the only physical resemblance between us was blond hair, and she was a moonlight blonde, not the dark bronze of my hair.

"I'm sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"So am I," he admitted, as he glanced over at me with a smile. "Things are just harder for her around this time of year. She died today eleven years ago."

Okay, so it was eleven. I was close.

"I'm sorry," I repeated.

"Yeah, so things are just a little tense right now, and if you could help out by maybe not coming over so much, that'd be great," he finished.

I nodded. "I can do that."

* * *

Later tonight, it was late when it happened. I was sitting on the couch with Charlie when I heard it.

 _"Bella, don't go any farther,"_ Edward's voice warned. I screamed and fell off the couch, looking around wildly.

"Something wrong?" Charlie asked.

"I think I'm hearing things," I admitted.

 _"Don't you dare, Bella."_

I clutched my head. "Get out of my mind, you bastard!"

"Mara, what's wrong?" Charlie asked.

"I can hear him, I can hear him in my head," I moaned. "Edward could read minds, Charlie, and I think he's doing it to me!"

"Mara, calm down, I'm calling a doctor," Charlie walked over.

I got to spend my night in the emergency room. All thanks to my sister's delusions, but they did let me go, after some meds. They make my head feel fuzzy.


	10. There's Been Heartache and Pain

**01/17**

Bella's been on the reservation, and I noticed that she seems to be acting highly secretive. I'm not sure I like what's going on. Right now, there's reports of humans getting killed by some sort of animal around the place.

Patton's been a bit distant, but I'm trying not to be too clingy. Am I?

* * *

 **01/18**

Whatever Bella's doing, I don't like it. Today, I was just hanging around with Will, who decided to drop in, at Starbucks, when another episode happened. I heard Edward's voice, and I screamed, clutching my hands to my head, when it then felt like my head got cut open. My heart was beating uncontrollably fast.

"Mara! Mara!" Will cried, and he dragged me out of there before I could get any more funny looks from the other customers. He sat me down outside.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I can hear Cullen talking to Bella, or something in my head," I confessed. "And it felt like my forehead was split open."

"Doesn't sound good," Will admitted.

"Will, what's happening?" I asked.

"I know it has something to do with when you sacrificed a good portion of your life-force to save Bella last year," he admitted. "Again, the last person who did this died, so there aren't many records. I'll try to look into it. In the meantime, keep writing down what happens, and when. Have you checked what Bella's been doing when these episodes happen?"

"She's secretive," I said with frown. "When she's not being a zombie."

"Try to find out. There may be at least correlation," he told me.

* * *

 **01/25**

It's been happening on and off all week, but today, I think I felt the worst one. It was worse that the cut open I felt on the 18th. I was walking with Patton home from the diner after school, when I felt it. I screamed and dropped to my knees upon feeling it.

"Mara, what's wrong?" He asked, as I screamed louder at hearing Cullen's voice. "Another episode?"

I nodded tearfully.

"Okay, you're gonna be okay," he said, getting down beside me. "You're gonna be okay, Mara."

Finally, I got the strength to get back up on my feet.

* * *

 **01/28**

Ugh! Another one. Turns out, Bella's been to the emergency room twice. Today, I confronted her.

"What the Hades are you doing?" I demanded.

"What do you mean?" She feigned confusion.

"Look, I know this won't go through your skull, but I can feel exactly what you feel when you get hurt, and I can hear your delusions, unfortunately," I barked. "That wasn't a hiking accident, I know that much. What are you really doing?"

"I'm an adult, and you don't need to know my business," she said loftily, looking at me condescendingly.

"It is my business, for Asclepius's sake!" I screamed, and I slapped her, hard, even though I felt it for myself. "Charlie is worried about you, and I'm worried about you! We're your family! It's our right to know! Besides, I have to suffer because of you!"

"You're just jealous because I had deeper, truer love than you could ever hope for," she said.

"And you knew this one for six months!" I shouted. "That's not true love, that's obsessive infatuation! I'm not sure if Patton and I do have anything deeper, but I do know that I wouldn't be trying to kill myself if he left!"

She stumbled back, shocked worse that she was when I slapped her.

"I'm not suicidal," she mumbled.

"Go to Hades," I growled, and I dived into my nice loving bed. What is happening to me?


	11. I Don't Know if I Can Face it Again

**02/20**

Well, Bella went out with Jacob and Mike, and both got sick, so she's home early. Patton and I are worried about a whole other problem, though. Hikers are dying, lots of them, and there are reports of bears or giant wolves roaming the forest.

"Are they something supernatural?" He asked me when he came over to my house. Bella still glared at us as if it were painful for her to see us just hanging out, not even kissing or holding hands or anything.

"Sounds like it," I murmured so Charlie couldn't hear. "I think we need to go after them."

"I haven't practiced as much with the shotgun," he admitted.

"Training session, tomorrow," I said. "I'll make a monster-slayer of you, Patton. You've got the gift of clear sight. Sometimes, even I can't see through the Mist. You _can_ , and that could make you very talented."

"Talented, huh?" He asked as he leaned closer, a smirk on his face and he took my hands into his. I smiled as we broke into a kiss on the couch, just a simple, sweet little thing, with okay, maybe a little tongue action.

"Stop that!" Bella shrieked, shocking me enough that I jumped.

"What's wrong with you?" Patton asked.

She stared blankly at us. "You remind me too much of him. . . "

Patton looked fake-worried. "That's twice now. I think we might need to have a few renovations," he said as he slipped his hand down to my hips.

"I think I like these 'renovations,'" I teased and my hands moved up to his rusty-brown hair.

"Stop!" Bella shrieked. "It hurts to see romance, when the love of my life has left me. You two just don't understand, being immature children."

"Children?" Patton straightened, hands still on my waistline. "I'm seventeen, and you might be eighteen, Bella, but that sure as hell doesn't make you more mature than either of us. You know what's really immature? Lacking empathy for your own sister, who's been nothing but good to you. She saved your _life_. Your _humanity_. Doesn't any of that matter to you?"

"Humans are weak, good for nothing compared to vampires," she replied with a sneer. "Of course, Mara wouldn't know that, having never been completely human."

I pushed Patton away and vaulted over the couch. "Excuse me?"

She'd touched a soft-spot that had hurt me ever since the discovery that my father was a _god_. I wanted to be completely human, more than anything. The gods were horrible, from the mythology and what I knew. The things that immortals don't get about mortals, about humans? Mortals are the ones with the power to change the world forever. We treat each new thing like the worse thing since the thing before it, but because we do, we change the fate of the world.

That's what's beautiful about mortals, and that's why I cherish my mortality, my humanity.

"You're a goddess," she said with awe in her voice. "You're able to save lives with a touch, you're able to kill monsters, control light, and have fast reflexes."

"Demi-goddess," I corrected. "I'm _mortal_ , Bella. I can and will die one day. For people like me, our lifespans actually are pretty short. We're not playing around, we're fighting monsters, and it's not some game. It's something serious, to protect all of you. I will probably die before you, Bella."

"You are still stronger than-"

"You don't get it!" I said, frustrated. "Bella, all I've wanted was to be completely human. We're beautiful creatures, and you're throwing it all away just for sparkles and riches and immortality."

She stamped her foot, and she ran off.

I tumbled back onto the couch, next to Patton, who was staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"What?" I asked.

"I never knew that you felt that way," he said in awe. He looked down at his hands. "I wondered why a daughter of the sun would fall for a guy who constantly lives in the rain. Someone human." He looked back up at me. "I know now. Am I really that beautiful to you?"

"Absolutely," I said without any hesitation, inching closer, and we were in the same position as we were before Bella so rudely interrupted.

"I never knew," he murmured, and I closed my eyes as the sweet kiss began.

* * *

 **03/04**

Figures. Because Jacob had moon and now won't talk to Bella, she thinks that he's joined Sam Uley's gang, which she continuously calls a cult.

Patton's improving a lot. He can't touch Celestial bronze, but I help him load the shotgun. We've been hiking for the past few days, and we've seen what the people were talking about. Giant wolves, five of them. Fast as vampires, hard to see, but I think we'll get them if we time this right.

* * *

 **03/10**

She's gone to Charlie about the "cult." Are you kidding me, Bella? No wonder Edward left, you are clingy. And all he ever did was enable your delusions.

Tonight, I was nicely asleep, when I awoke to hear a creak at the window. When I sat up, I saw Jacob waking Bella up.

"Dude! What the Hades?" I hissed. "Does every guy think they have the right to go in our room?"

"Shh, I'm trying to tell Bella something important, something I can't tell you," Jacob said.

"Let me guess, something supernatural?" I asked dryly.

"How much do you know?" He demanded.

"You're one of the things out there, eating humans, aren't you?" I asked with bitter laughter. "Go ahead, tell her. I won't care."

* * *

 **03/16**

Oh, so apparently, the Quilquete werewolves are protecting the people from some of the vamps from last spring. Whatever. Bella spends all day at LaPush now. Patton and I have been helping with the hunt.

We almost caught her this time if it weren't for the sensation I felt of hitting water from up-high. I cried out and fell to my knees, feeling insanely cold. I kept hearing Edward's voice.

"Jacob, you need to save Bella," I choked out. The russet wolf nodded and ran off. Patton got down next to me.

"What's going on?" He whispered.

"Cold," I managed to choke out, feeling my throat close as if I were drowning. "Choking. Help me."

"I'm really starting to hate this sister bond if it kills you," he murmured, and he helped me to my feet, and we managed to limp back to the car, and get back to the house. To my surprise, there was a nice, posh car.

"Is that a Cullen?" Patton growled. "Please don't be Redward, please don't be Redward."

"I will slice through that misogynistic bastard," I muttered, and I felt for my dagger, despite feeling weak and cold, the way that water seemed to sap any strength from your body.

"I'm not sure you're up for that, but let's see which one first," he decided, and I collapsed on the couch to find Alice inside.

"You broke in!" I managed to declare in my loudest voice, my trembling hand holding out a dagger.

"Is Bella alive?" She asked as Patton came down, carrying blankets, some for me, and some undoubtedly for Bella.

"No. I'd feel it if she was," I answered as I wrapped one around me. "Thanks, Patton."

"No problem, Sunshine," he replied as he sat beside me. He looked over at Alice. "So you're back in town."

"No, just me," Alice said. "What do you mean, you'd feel it?"

"Last spring, when I sacrificed some of my life force, it bonded me to her," I explained. "When she's in pain or having delusions of your brother, I can feel it. I'd know if she died."

"Oh, that's a relief," she murmured. "I saw a vision of her dying."

"Jacob saved her," I explained. "He's a werewolf."

"Werewolf?" She said with disgust.

Then Bella and Jacob came in, she fawned over them. While they were doing that, Patton took my chin into his hands.

"I'm sorry that you have to suffer for your sister," he murmured. I could make out the indigo and gray flecks in his sky-blue eyes.

"Nothing to be sorry for. It's my own damn fault," I replied.

"No. It's hers," he said. "She should know better, especially if someone is tied to her."

"At least it won't actually kill me," I said as we got closer, for another kiss.

Charlie's uneasy about Alice's return. I think things are going to get bad.


	12. Can't Stop Now

**03/16**

I awoke from a strange dream last night. I saw Edward sparkling and Bella running to him, screaming, as three vampires in cloaks approached. One just glared at him, and he writhed as another lit a fire, and he was torn apart and burned. The girl turned, and with a malicious glare, and Bella screamed.

I had a bad feeling, and I slipped down to where Alice and Bella were talking.

"Alice, why did you come back?" I asked.

She looked up at me, her expression serious. "I had a vision, that Bella drowned cliff-jumping. I accidentally mentioned it to Edward, and he wanted me to check."

I realized that she hadn't used the phone at all since she'd gotten here. With a panic in my chest because I was scared of the phone. The phone would attract monsters. If I didn't call, Edward would kill himself, if I heard the conversation the night before he left correctly. As much as I hate Edward, Bella will kill herself if he dies. I love my sister too much.

I watched as Alice went back into telling Bella her backstory and she didn't pick up her phone at all.

"Alice?" I asked again, tentatively.

"What?" She snapped, annoyed for me interrupting.

"Can I borrow your cellphone?" I asked.

"Don't you have on of your own?"

I shook my head, and she sighed, and gave me the sleek model. I gave a quick nod as a gesture of thanks, and I quickly ran upstairs, and grabbed my dagger's handle and stood at the window, watching for monsters as I scrolled through the contacts. I couldn't find Edward's, so I grabbed the next best thing in my mind-Jasper.

I held the phone to my ear awkwardly as I watched for monsters to appear.

"Hurry up, pick up, pick up," I muttered as the phone rang.

"Alice?" A lilting Texas accent came out the other end.

"Jasper, is that you?" I asked in a frantic voice.

"Who is this?"

"It's Mara, Bella's sister," I said quickly. "I'm using Alice's phone."

"Daughter of Apollo, I remember," he replied in warmer tones.

"Yeah, listen, I'd better-"

"You shouldn't be using this," Jasper suddenly said.

"What?" I asked, thrown off-guard by the interruption.

"Cellphones attract monsters," he warned.

"I know, but this is an emergency," I said. "Tell Edward that Bella's alive."

"Mara, I-"

I screamed and dropped the phone as a hellhound leapt through my window. I started to hack at it with my dagger and tried to activate my broadsword, as I backed to the door. I was going to die soon if I didn't have any help.

I heard a gun go off, and I jumped. The hellhound was melting to a puddle of shadow, only leaving behind the Celestial bronze bullet. I picked it up, and looked to see Patton give me a thumb's up and smiling in the window.

I smiled gratefully at him and gave him a thumb's up. I took Alice's cellphone, and I took it downstairs, and didn't interrupt her. I pulled on my rain boots, and ran over to Patton's house. I hugged Patton, who'd just come out.

"Thank you," I murmured, my heart beating fast.

"My pleasure. I just hope that I'll always be around to save you," he muttered.

* * *

 **03/17**

Well, this is great. Charlie went to the funeral today, and he wanted us to stay at his house. Jacob has been over, and today was no different. He just picked up the phone when it rang today, and guess what? Jasper did not forward my message. Edward's going to kill himself in Volterra and Alice and Bella are racing the clock to save him.

Patton, Jacob, and I decided to stay here. I didn't know what I was supposed to tell Charlie, honestly, so I told him the truth. Bella and Edward will hate that, Charlie doesn't like it, but the star-crossed twits can suck it.

* * *

 **03/20**

"So, why do you dislike Edward so much?" I'd asked Patton today. I was just curious, since he seemed more venomous towards him.

He hesitated, and breathed in deeply. "I never did tell you what happened to my mom, did I?"

I shook my head.

"Well, I- I was six. This was toward the end of one of their last stints. I knew that he was a mind-reader, but he looked different from how he was before, had a pseudonym," he began. "I was in the car with my mom. It was my birthday, and we were going somewhere."

His eyes darkened and were glistening with tears building up.

"I remember how excited my mom was, and how she couldn't wait to spend some time with me. She loved the song, 'Maria' the one we first danced to in the gym, remember?" He asked.

I nodded, wondering where this was going.

He closed his eyes. "She told me that if I found a girl like that, she was one worth chasing, no matter the cost. That was the last thing she ever said to me. It was as if she knew, and that was the last thing she wanted me to know."

He laughed bitterly, and re-opened his eyes to look at me. "Cullen, well, he was Masen then, he was going at his normal breakneck speeds, not caring about humanity all that much. He wasn't paying attention, and he-"

Tears started to crawl down his cheeks. "I was told later that the only reason

I lived through the whole crash, as injured as I was, was that my mom was right in front of me and her body acted as a shield."

I hugged him close as his body shook with sobs.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry, Patton. I wouldn't have asked if I'd known," I said.

"I wanted you to know," he said hoarsely. "We're close enough..."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm sorry."

Bella came home late tonight, and Edward secretly spent the night. Charlie is not happy. He hates Cullen to death.


	13. I've Traveled So Far

**05/14**

There's been a string of murders in Seattle. Edward, of course, claims that all serial kills are just newborn vamps. Dude, let me talk about that psychopath half-brother of mine, Octavian. OCTAVIAN!

Humans are that way, too. Why, I don't know, but I know of them.

The werewolves, Patton, and I all have been going out to hunt for Victoria, since she's still out there, and she wants my sister's blood, to make Edward suffer as she does without her mate. As much as I like the idea of Edward suffering, especially after what he did to Patton's mom, it's my sister, and as stupid as she's acting, I do love her.

There's one really cool she-wolf, Leah Clearwater. I remember when we first met on her first hunt.

"Could you carry my clothes?" She asked me before she transformed. "They can get a bit heavy on my legs."

"Of course," I told her. "I'm Mara. What's your name?"

"I'm Leah," she told me with a bitter pride. "The one and only she-wolf in Quilquete history. Feel free to take pictures, and I'll sign it."

"That's awesome!" I said. "Girl power all the way, Leah!"

She smiled. "I wish the others in the pack shared your attitude."

"They aren't nice to you?" I asked.

"Just because I have breasts," she said, and she transformed into a small, almost white wolf, her tank top, bra, and shorts behind her. I picked them off the floor and put them in my hiking backpack.

Patton and Emery have bonded, too, and it's nice having guy friends that aren't my half-brothers. And it's nice having a friend like Leah who I can have a complain-fest with.

* * *

 **05/15**

I'm going to Florida for the weekend, because apparently it's too dangerous in Forks according to Edward for Bella and me. I gave Patton a goodbye kiss and listened to my iPod on the way there, thinking about how Mom would ask for more details even though I called her every Friday at 6:30.

In particular, I think she'll want to know more about the reason I stay in Forks. Probably about the demigodly stuff, too. This is the first summer I haven't had to fight a war in.

* * *

 **05/16**

It's been nice, talking to Mom. Today, we were out on the front porch, watching the waves crashing on the beach as Debussy played in the background.

"How's Patton doing?" She asked me.

"He's fine," I said with a smile. "He's been really good to me, Mom. He's been nothing but there for me while the episodes have been happening."

"That's great," she said, and she looked around. "I think you make a better couple than they do. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks, Mom," I said. "I'm glad I can be there for him, like when he told me about his mom."

"What happened?" Mom asked, and then she paused. "Or, if you'd rather-"

"His mom was killed on a car crash on his birthday," I blurted out.

"The poor guy," she sympathized immediately.

"He also has the clear sight, like you, so people think he's crazy," I added.

"I remember g me that," she said. "Poor boy. I hope it all works out for you. Olympus knows I'd prefer to have him by the sound of it as a son-in-law than Edward."

I was touched by my mother's comment, "That means a lot to me. How's it going with Phil?"

"It's great, just having someone who knows how you feel, who's a willing to be there for you always," she gushed, and then I looked at our empty lemonade glasses.

"Want me to refill them, Mom?" I asked.

"Aw, that's sweet of you, Mara," she said, and she handed me her glass. I walked back inside, relishing the rays of the sun, my father's smile as we in the Apollo Cabin called it, and began pouring out some lemonade.

"I see you found out about Mrs. Hartley," a cold voice said behind me.

I shrieked and turned around to see Edward when my hand was already on the hilt of my dagger.

"Don't do that!" I hissed. "Yes, he told me what you did, you bastard!"

"Don't call him that!" Bella shrieked, and she materialized to cling to Edward.

"He really is, Bella," I said, without taking my eyes off of Edward's unnaturally yellow ones. "He killed Patton's mom in a car crash, with his breakneck speeds. Isn't that right?"

"He has every right to drive as fast as he wants," Bella replied stubbornly. "She just wasn't thinking loudly enough."

"Patton has to live knowing that the only reason he lived was because his mom was right in front of him! And he was pretty badly injured from what he told me! All because of you, Edward!" I shouted. I did pull out my knife and point it to his chest. " I have half a mind to cut one of your limbs off, but I won't. Mostly because I don't want my sister going suicidal again."

I calmly put it back, and walked back out.

* * *

 **05/17**

Back in Forks again. Patton greeted me with a hug, and we went out into his truck.

"You missed it," he told me as he drove us to some mystery location. "We almost caught Victoria last night, if it weren't for those stupid Cullens."

"That's too bad," I agreed. "Wish I could've been there."

"Me too, but it's nice to have you back," he said.

* * *

 **06/02**

The month is passing really fast. Today, Bella lost some stuff, and they think that some vampire's been in the house. I don't think so. I'd be dead if there was. I'm almost certain that it's really my scent that's so appetizing to them, not Bella's.

I hung out with Leah at the Starbucks today.

"So, how's it going?" I asked.

"It's fine," she replied, looking away from a screen-saver that often made her cry and smile at the same time. It was of her and Sam. Just looking at the way he held her, the way that they looked at each other, I could tell that they loved each other a lot.

"What happened between you two?" I asked, pointing at the picture. "It looked like nothing could break you apart."

She sighed, and closed her laptop, looking at me.

"Kid, your sister pretends to know what it's really like when the love of your life leaves you," she began. "That's my story. What's the worst, is because I'm a she-wolf, I have to hear it, all the time, how, much Sam loves Emily, how great they are. Then how sorry he is for me, almost like an afterthought. I was never an afterthought before."

A tear went down, and she swiped it away.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked-"

"No," she interrupted, and she looked at me. "I want someone to tell, someone who won't sneer at me and tell me to be happy for them. I can tell that you, daughter of Apollo, that you'll understand."

I nodded, and continued to listen.

"I loved-no, I still love him, and I always will. I can tell that he does, but because of imprinting-"

"Imprinting?" I broke in.

"Love at first sight, but stronger," she explained. "He first laid eyes on my cousin, and he fell for her instantly. Never gave me a second thought. Ever wonder how Emily got her scars?"

"You did it?" I guessed fearfully.

"No," she shook her head. "Sam did, when she tried say no. Except, he isn't really Sam anymore."

"Curse Aphrodite," I muttered, and there was a clap of thunder. I only raised my eyebrows. "I'm sorry, Leah."

"Me too, kid," she said. "Me too."

* * *

 **06/03**

Tonight, we shared stories of the legends that were the history of us. Leah and others were talking of the Quilquete stories. Patton, I brought him along for his stories of experience. The only one that Bella seemed to like was the one about the Third Wife.

I began to tell the stories of the Trojan War, and of the great heroes such as Perseus and Hercules and Atalanta. They were hanging onto my every word. Then I began to talk of the Titan War, of the Battle of the Labyrinth.

"Percy Jackson, the only son of Poseidon who was born in fifty years, came back from Ogygia, and Luke Castellan, the traitorous son of Hermes who had gathered a following and resurrected Kronos, the Titan of Time, had used the Labyrinth, an ancient, changing maze designed by Dedalus, son of Athena, to invade Camp Half-Blood," I began.

"We were beginning the battle. Ares, Athenian, and Apollo children gathered their long-distance weapons and began to fire on the invading horde of rogue demigods and monsters. Our first cabin counselor, Lee Fletcher, led the charge, Castor, the son of Dionysus right beside him. They were killed in the fight. Many children of Apollo in particular died that day.

"Percy Jackson and Dedalus battled Luke Castellan, who had taken in the spirit of Kronos. When all seemed lost, the exiled satyr, Grover Underwood had arrived. He inspired panic into our enemies, and they fled, for he had inherited the power of the dead god of the wilderness, Pan."

Bella seemed apathetic, but my words spilled out as I told them of the rest of the Titan War, of the Giant War, of Octavian's evil deeds, of Will Solace's heroics. Leah regarded me with a new respect as a veteran of two wars, as did plenty of the others.

"I wish I had powers like yours," Bella said wistfully.

"Don't you get it?" I demanded, for I was in tears from reliving it all over again. "It's horrible, being a demigod! I still might not make it to twenty!"

She still watched me with wistfullness.

It was time for Patton to speak. It was heart-wrenching, every word of how he had seen attacks of monsters, and no one believed him. When he showed a scar down his chest from a a harpy and how he almost died. With every story was a scar, and I wanted to reach out and hug him, tell him that I'd be there for him.

After the bonfire stories, we wandered a little ways away.

"That was sad," I admitted.

He shrugged. "It's the only path I've ever known."

A little more of my heart was wrenched out.

"Hey, don't cry for me," he said, picking my chin up. "Besides, I think it was even harder hearing your stories. You never told me you were in a war." His hand reached to the long scar on my upper arm I'd gestured towards during a stealth mission where we clashed with the Romans.

A shiver went down my body as his finger traced down it. My own fingers were tracing some of the scars on his arm that he had pointed out.

"We've both traveled so far to get here," I murmured. "I want to cherish this while we have it, Patton."

"I agree," he said, and we embraced.


	14. To Change This Lonely Life

**06/04**

According to Alice, it looks like there's going to be a battle. Carlisle's rounding up vampire allies, the werewolves are going to help is, and Jasper is organizing training sessions. Patton and I are invited. In the meantime, I've set myself to getting allies of my own. I sent this to Will today.

 _Brother Dearest,_

 _I need a favor from you. My sister is being threatened by vampires, armies of_ Stregoni Benefici _. The whole town of Forks is. You've got to help me. Come with some demigods. We'll be fighting alongside the Cullens and with werewolves. Just please, help me._

 _Lots of love,_

 _Mara_

I'm just praying that he responds.

* * *

 **06/05**

They're on the way, and will be here tomorrow. Jasper started the first training session, though. While the Cullens and the werewolves practiced, Jasper wanted to work one-on-one with me.

"Mara, I have some special instructions for you," he said. I followed him into the woods, where he pulled out a cavalry sword. "You have my broadsword, so I'm going to teach you how to use it."

"Yours?" I asked in surprise as I unleashed my broadsword. "You were the one who left it in the woods?"

He smirked. "Who do you think did? I was a son of Mars in my day, daughter of Apollo. Fought with the Confederacy in the Texas cavalry. Youngest major ever, Jasper Whitlock. Chiron or Lupa could tell you all about me."

I noticed how his Southern accent was flowing loose, and he started to swing at me while he was talking. I quickly blocked, and we were at odds, parrying for a minor win.

"Very good, Sunrider," he said approvingly as he dug in a little more. "Nice to know that you aren't a dunce."

"Who, me?" I asked with innocence as I won the parry, and tried to slash at him some more, and he blocked my every move.

"You're going to have to try a little harder than that," he said with a smirk. In a moment of my slight distraction, he disarmed me, and his cavalry sword pointed at my chest. I wasn't finished yet. I ducked and drew my dagger. I had to fight this out cleverly since I had less reach.

I made quick, well-timed strikes, and his sword clattered to the ground. I stepped up, and unfortunately had to step on tip-toe in order to hold the dagger to his neck.

"I win," I decided with a smirk.

He smirked back, and I took away my blade, tucked it into my waistband, and picked up my broadsword as he retrieved his cavalry sword.

"Very good, Mara, this should be interesting," he said. "Let's go again."

I'm tired, but at least I'm doing something, unlike the person we're protecting.

* * *

 **06/06**

They arrived. The recruits are Nico Di Angelo, Will, Michael Kahale, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Clarisse LaRue, Chris Rodriguez, and Malcolm Hammond. Patton and I greeted them when the van pulled up at the training site.

"Is he a demigod?" Nico asked.

"No, this is my boyfriend," I said slowly. "He's got the clear sight."

There were uneasy glances and whispers rippling through the ranks. Clarisse stepped forwards.

"So Pretty Boy here's going to be able to help us fight?" She asked.

"I'm just as competent as you," Patton replied, not looking the least bit terrified by Clarisse. I know I was at first.

"We'll see," she said. "We'll see."

Training went well today. Apparently Jacob, Edward, and Bella came up with some crazy plan. Oh well, I don't care. Jasper focused on us. He set us a partner with the werewolves or something like that, although he gave Frank and Patton targets to practice hitting.

I had Jasper again, Clarisse went up against Emmett, Nico battled Edward and won, Hazel fought with Rosalie, Chris went up against Paul, Malcolm took Jacob down, and Michael was paired with Leah.

When he heard he was supposed to fight her, the first thing he did was smile at her small gray wolf form, and bow.

"Ladies first."

She'd given a sort of friendly bark, and attacked with much less aggression than she had when she was up against Esme yesterday. When she was done, she came over to me, and I handed her her clothes, and she went behind the bushes. When she strode out, she walked to give Michael a handshake. His jaw dropped at her fabulousness.

She smiled with shyness, and a bit of both fear and excitement in her eyes.

"I'm Leah Clearwater," she told him. "The she-wolf."

"It's a shame I hadn't seen you in human form first," he said. "Gods, you're gorgeous. I could look at you all day."

For the first time I heard her giggle. That's right, Leah, giggling! I'm really happy for her.

"Maybe when this is over we could go to Bella Italia for dinner?" Michael asked.

Then it ended. The mask that she always wore slipped over her face, and she walked away. Michael stared after her, disappointed.

"It's gonna take some time," I told him. "Ever hear of imprinting?"

"Oh gods," he groaned, and he facepalmed. "Mother, what did you do?"

"I can't tell you her business, but she screwed up Leah's life," I admitted. "But I bet if you kept it up, Michael. . ."

"I doubt she's interested," he interrupted coldly.

"That's the first time I've ever heard her giggle," I informed him. "I think you definitely got her attention. She's just a little bit of work, that's all."

"A little bit of work is worth a goddess like that," he said breathlessly. He looked back at me. "Thanks, Sunrider. You might be a Greek, but sometimes you do have good advice."

I shrugged. "I'm here all week, Kahale."

I really hope that Leah lets him in. They would be so cute together. We're camping out, waiting for the battle to begin.

* * *

 **06/07**

We were the ones that led the charge. The sea of red-eyed bloodsuckers advanced, and we went in on it. I came in, dual-wielding. They weren't much of a match against weapons they'd never experienced before. Victoria obviously hadn't expected demigods.

Clarisse, Michael, and Nico were practically dancing through their enemies. Frank and Patton fired at them atop from rocks and I was battling two at once. I dissolved two at once, and was finding myself getting surrounded. The Cullens lit matches, and they and the werewolves began to join the fray.

I sliced the arm off of one and threw it into the fire. The newborn boy howled in pain. For a moment, I felt bad about what I was about to do. He was human once. Then he tried to lunge for me, and I had no choice but to judo-flip him into flames. I stared at them, filled with remorse what I'd done.

I heard a scream, and I whipped around to see Malcolm with a vampire attached to his neck. I ran to him, and cut the vampire's head off, tossed it into the fire, and disposed of the rest of the body. He was still screaming his head off, so I grabbed his arm, slung it around my neck, and dragged him to the medical tent, where Will was.

"What happened?" Will asked.

"He got bitten," I said.

For the first time, I heard Will curse and I set Malcolm down.

"I can't do anything for him," Will apologized. "We've got no choice-Malcolm's going to become a vampire."

"I'm sorry, if I'd been faster-"

"There's nothing we could've done," he interrupted. "All you can do now is make sure that it isn't too late for someone else."

At that moment, I'd heard Edward growl, and I feared that Bella was in danger. I had to get to her in time. My heart thundered in my ears and slammed against my chest as I sprinted past Patton and Frank up the rocks, and I leapt to the campsite where Seth was fighting one vampire, and Edward was battling Victoria with Bella just standing there.

Bella stared at them, and she grabbed a rock and cut her arm. Everyone froze, and I acted. Light burst from me, making the vampires sparkle intensely as I ran and leapt for Victoria. My touch was like fire and sunlight, and the pure light that was an aura around me enveloped Victoria, making her scream in agony as she died. I then helped Seth finish off the other vampire.

I started to calm down, and got a glimpse of my hair. It was glowing a golden color, like in _Tangled_. I turned to see Edward waltzing towards Bella. I ran to defend her, and held my sword and dagger up.

"You're not going to hurt her, bloodsucker," I sneered.

"I don't want to," he said in that calm voice I hated so much. I turned to Bella, and took her arm on instinct, and touched the glowing strands to the wound. I focused on healing it despite the pain in my own arm from it, and it healed up quickly.

Instead of thanking me, she hugged Edward and assured him that she loved him. I ran down to the clearing, where they were rushing Jacob off to Will's tent, and I saw a girl with red eyes who Jasper had a firm hold on.

"I want her," she said. "I want her."

"You've got to learn to control it," Jasper said gently, and he sent a wave of calm through her.

"Carlisle," Alice said warningly.

Suddenly, people in black cloaks came, led by a devilish little girl.

"I see that there has been a skirmish," she said.

"Yes, we have ended the problem with Seattle," Carlisle said.

"Good. And who is this?" She asked, talking to the red-eyed girl.

"Bree Tanner. She willingly surrendered," Jasper explained.

"Interesting," the girl said. Her eyes stopped on Bella. "A human, I see."

"The date has been set," Edward informed her.

"What?" I burst out. She was going to become a vampire? When?

Her eyes froze upon me.

"Who is this?" She demanded in an icy voice. Then she stared at me, and an intense pain came over me. I fell to the ground screaming. I writhed on the snow-covered mountain, and screamed for it to just end, for it to end.

"Stop!" I heard Jasper say, and I could see again. I could see in the background that they were restraining Patton in the door of the tent. I got to my feet and my body ached.

"My name is Mara Sunrider," I said breathlessly as my shaky hands held up my broadsword. "I'm a daughter of Apollo."

"A demigod? Impossible! Tell me the truth!" She snapped, and it started all over again. I was screaming, and I didn't care about anything or anyone other than it ending. It didn't even help to scream, but it was still better than suffering in silence.

It abruptly stopped, and I saw Patton writhing in front of me. It was horrible, hearing him scream like that. I had had it, and the glow took over, and I stretched the light out to surround but not touch Jane. It scared her enough that she stopped. I let the glow retreat, and I took Patton, who was shivering violently into my arms.

"You're going to be okay," I murmured. "You're going to be okay."

He just took shuddering breaths, unable to open his eyes as he leaned into my touch.

I glared up at the sadistic girl. "You touch him again and I'll end you."

She nodded in fear, and she turned to the red-eyed girl. "This one will have to go. She has broken our laws."

"We could teach her!" Jasper protested. "Please, Jane, let us-"

She put him in enough pain that he let out a yelp and let Bree go. Her two Volturi guards took her, and they killed her. After that, they left.

"You saved me," I said to Patton afterwards.

"Least. . . I could do. . . For you, Sunshine," he managed to spill out. I tried to do a sort of morphine-type effect I'd seen Will do and I had a little experience doing.

"Think you can stand now?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said and he opened his eyes. I helped him up, and I looked to Bella. It was Jasper who had begged Jane to stop, not my own sister. Bella didn't even look phased. I just shook my head at her, realizing that I was crying already, and walked towards the tent.

"What happened to Jacob?" I managed to sniffle out.

"Leah was doing fine, but Jacob had to show off," Patton explained. I rolled my eyes.

"What an idiot. How's Malcolm doing?" I asked.

"Haven't checked on him," he admitted. "I've been a bit occupied with you, Sunshine."

"Thank you, by the way," I said.

"What else am I supposed to do?" He asked, trying to get back to teasing but still looking miserable.

We walked in to see the pack glaring at Leah. She just sighed, arms folded over her chest while Will worked on Jacob.

Michael Kahale walked over to her.

"You're a great fighter," he told her.

"I'm glad you think so," she said with an instantaneous smile that emerged when he came in her line of vision. "Unfortunately the boys-only club doesn't agree."

"They can get over themselves," he said and he reached over to playfully tug at her ebony hair. "Why don't we ditch these guys and I'll buy you whatever froofy latte you want?"

"Sounds a lot more fun than staying here," she said, smiling wider. "Later, Mars."

She and Michael walked off, and I grinned. The happiness was interrupted by the cries of Malcolm.

The son of Athena was crying and moaning.

"Please, take it all away," he moaned. "Just end it, please?"

I looked over to the others.

"What are we going to do when he becomes a vampire?" I asked in a low voice.

"We think we'll teach him the 'vegetarian diet'," Frank said.

"I've got a better idea," Nico said. "Why not monster blood?"

"Good idea!" Went around.

I confronted Bella after the fight.

"You're so worried about Jacob, but you never bothered to ask me if I was fine!" I hissed as soon as I slammed the bedroom door shut.

"I knew you'd be fine when Jane stopped," she said without an ounce of emotion on her face.

"Jasper was begging her to stop, not you!" I said, and tears started to go down my face. "Not my own _sister_!"

"You aren't going to see me anymore, so I figured I'd distance myself from you," she said.

I shook my head, crying harder. "You don't get it, do you? I'm tied to you Bella, I feel your pain physically. Not once have you ever thanked me for saving your life in Phoenix, or fighting for you! I thought you might've been hurt during the fight, and I ran to make sure that you were okay, and you don't even care when I get hurt, and won't bother to tell me when you're turning vampire! I'll have to feel your transformation, Bella!"

She just stared at me blankly.

"Thanks for nothing, sister," I spat. The walls were too small. I had escape, had to leave. I twisted open the door and ran, ran for everything I had. Now I'm in a dark hollow. I just can't be in the same room as her anymore.


	15. I'm Free

**06/08**

Charlie found me this morning. Surprisingly, he didn't act angry.

"Mara, have you been here all night?" He asked.

I nodded, and I sat up.

"I've been worried- Patton was worried, bless that boy. Bella said that you and her had a fight last night. Is that why you're out here?" He asked me.

"I can't sleep in the same room as her anymore," I said as some tears from last night managed to fall down my face again. "I can't tell you all of it, but she's so selfish, pulling away from me-"

"She's been pulling away from me and Renée too, Mara," he said as he helped me to my feet. "I know you've got to be upset about it, but running away isn't the solution to your problem."

"Charlie, she isn't even bothered if I'm in pain anymore," I whispered. "She doesn't care about me at all. And I care too much about her, after all this time. I've tried to do everything she wanted me to do, but she never gives a damn about me anymore."

"I know it's hard, but I need you to come home," Charlie said as we started walking. "Mara, we've at least still got each other, even if Bella is gone. You're like a daughter to me."

"Thank you," I said, tearing up for a completely different reason now, and I hugged him.

In the house, Will was waiting. He hugged me.

"How's Malcolm doing?" I asked him.

"Not well," he admitted. "We took him to Camp Jupiter's hospital. We got permission to let the entire Cabin 6 in. Annabeth is really worried for him."

"What are we going to do about his new problem?" I asked.

"We've got a few options, but we're probably going to stick him with the Cullens for a year," Will admitted.

"Gods, he's only seventeen. He doesn't deserve this," I said.

"None of us do," Will replied.

Leah apparently had a great date with Michael. She has this smile whenever we mention him.

My own hero ran up to me.

"You're okay," he said. "I was worried that something had happened, although it is honestly more likely for you to beat up whatever happened."

"It's just I had a fight with Bella," I admitted.

"I'm sorry," he'd told me.

Everyone's just being nice except for my dear sister. Figures.

* * *

 **06/09**

Malcolm isn't too happy about his new state. He's pretty upset, and we've had to keep him from spearing himself with his sword. The Cullens are interested in taking him on, and he feels like he might have no choice. The bastards don't want him to tell his father what happened to him, except for Jasper.

Jasper's really been there for Malcolm, helping make sure he calms down, and he's just been there for Malcolm to talk to. Annabeth saw him, and she's not happy about Carlisle's decision to keep his family in the dark.

"His father knows! Of course he knew, since you can't impregnate Athena!" Annabeth yelled at Carlisle. "She has every right to know what her son became!"

"We can't risk it," Carlisle said sadly. "We just can't-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Annabeth screamed, getting some looks from people *cough cough- Rosalie- cough cough*. "MY BOYFRIEND'S MOM HAD TO KNOW THAT HER SON WAS MISSING FOR A YEAR!"

Carlisle glanced at Jasper, and Annabeth pulled out her drakon-bone sword.

"Try that and I will impale you, understand that, Whitlock?" She demanded.

Jasper nodded respectfully and stepped back.

"Do we have to take him in?" Edward asked as he kept Bella close. "He's not needed-"

"That's sick," I interrupted. "That you only want pairings."

Poor Malcolm.

* * *

 **08/12**

This is the last night before my sister leaves forever. Sorry I've been absent, just. . . Been busy. Malcolm is indeed a begrudging Cullen, and his father and step-family still don't know what happened to him.

"I just want to tell them," he'd said. He looked like he wanted to cry, but vampires biologically can't cry. "I- I just wanted to let my half-sister know that I loved her, and to tell my step-mom that I'm sorry for the fight we had over the dishes before we left. I just want to say goodbye."

He always looks like he wants to cry.

In other news, Mom and Charlie are pretending to let this happen gladly. They know they can't stop the co-dependent twits and that they might as well say goodbye to the girl who's disowned us.

Of course, I have a place in this charade. But unlike what a good sister would do, making me the maid of honor and all, I'm the _flower girl_. I'm fifteen, and I'm the flower girl! Ugh, and Alice has made it ten times worse. I'm wearing some flowery blue dress. GAH!

Of course, Edward couldn't help but come over tonight.

"We should practice," Bella said. I couldn't believe that they were about to do that with me in the room. Thank Zeus for Jasper, that's all I have to say.

"Hey, Eddy!" Emmett called out. "Come to your bachelor party!"

"Yes, leave these lovely ladies alone," Jasper said. He winked at me. "'Sup, Mara?"

I nodded with an uneasy smile. At least he's gone, and I won't have to see him anymore.

* * *

 **08/13**

It was an okay ceremony. I mean, Jacob almost started a fight, but at least I was allowed to bring Patton as my plus one, and I hung out with him and Malcolm the whole time. We also may or may not have dipped into the champagne when Mom and Charlie weren't looking.

Loads of fun.

* * *

 **09/07**

Okay, this is ridiculous. I've been feeling some stuff I haven't wanted to for the past few weeks, and I know it's because of her. They won't let me in to see her! I have a right to know what's going on.

* * *

 **09/08**

This is scary! I feel like my blood's being drained from my body, like there are bruises on my stomach, like I'm. . . Pregnant. What has that sparkly twit done to my sister, and why do I have to feel it?

I've stayed home from school the past week, I just can't. Charlie's trying to figure out what's wrong with me, but neither of us know. He hired a tutor, but won't let anyone over to see me just in case I have something.

What's going on? Why won't anyone tell me?

* * *

 **09/09**

I'm feeling better today except for what feels like a broken rib. Leah, good for her, since people are now being let in, has broken free from Sam, and there are two wolf packs. Argh, can it please just stop?

* * *

 **09/13**

It was all going fine, Patton was over and we were snuggling when I felt it. I screamed in pain from what was going on in my lower parts. It felt like giving birth.

"What's going on, what's wrong?" Charlie was asking me.

I shook my head. I couldn't tell him. I looked at Patton. "Tell them about what's going on, fast."

Another contraction hit, and I squeezed his hand hard enough to make him yelp.

"I'm not leaving you, Sunshine," he promised. Maybe things wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the fire. It was so bad, I screamed and cried, tried to beg but wasn't coherent. I blacked out, and I awoke in the house this morning. Patton looked tired, as did Charlie. Leah was there, and so was Will and Nico and Malcolm.

I've felt what it was like to give birth to a demon baby and to turn into a vampire. However, I'm not feeling anything at all. I'm going to slap her to test it, but maybe, just maybe, could I be free?

* * *

 **09/14**

I went over this morning to see my sister and Deadward hugging the demon baby. I marched up the steps, Malcolm, Patton, Leah, and Michael behind me.

"Oh, Mara, come meet Renesseme," she said eagerly.

"That's what I felt?" I demanded, pointing my sword at the baby. "Gods, no wonder that hurt so much!"

Edward growled at me. "Come up here right now and apologize. Bella's been through a lot the past four days."

Oh, I came up, and I slapped her, hard. My hand hurt from doing that, but my face didn't sting at all!

"I'm free!" I screamed elatedly. I turned to Patton and jumped into his arms. "I'm free! I'm free forever!"

I'd learned my lesson about selflessness. From now on, I'd only give to those who I knew would appreciate it. I learned to be a little more selfish. I was no longer linked to my sister, and I'd no longer have to be tied to them.

"What are you talking about?" Sister Dearest asked.

"I was bonded to you," I said quietly as I cried tears of joy and relief. "I felt the birth, and I felt the transformation as well. But now I'm free from it. I don't have to feel your pain anymore. My soul is all my own."

Edward made a growling noise.

"Goodbye forever, except for Jasper and Malcolm. You two are fine. The rest of you suckers I'll see later!" I announced, and I jumped into Patton's arms again. "I'm free!"

"I know, I know!" He cried back, just as happy for me.

Jacob transformed in front of Charlie, and I told him about my demigod status. He just hugged me, as I explained what had really been going on the whole time. I'm going to be able to tell him all sorts of stuff now.

I'M FREE!


	16. I Want You to Show Me

**12/14**

Well guess who showed up at Charlie's house while Patton, the Clearwaters, Charlie, and I happened to be over. No, really, take a guess. It was _her_.

Oh, wait, now, it was my sister, Deadward, and her demon baby who had already grown to look like a three-year-old. They burst right through the doors as Patton and I were cuddling and sharing a bowl of popcorn and I was about to go for a kiss!

"What do you want?" I growled as I gripped my necklace and resisted the temptation to throw popcorn at them. Patton gave in and chucked a nice handful at them. I gave him a high-five while Seth Clearwater glared at us and Charlie gave me a warning look.

"The Volturi are coming, they want to kill Nessie," Deadward said.

"You mean Renesseme," Sister Dearest corrected him.

"Not my problem," I said, and I flicked some popcorn in my mouth to prove a point.

Sue gave me a horrified look.

"What's gotten into you, Mara?" She asked.

"It's _her_ ," I snarled. "I've risked my life several times to save you, and what do you give me? You never thanked me ever for Phoenix, or the battle against the newborns. You and your boyfriend made out in the room at night, you constantly whined about how you weren't a vampire, and you disowned me! You never asked me if I was okay when Jane tortured me! You never seemed to get that I felt your pain! You think giving birth to Renesseme was so hard? Imagine doing it and you didn't know what was going on! Excuse me if I don't help you after all of that!"

"You're her sister," Deadward protested.

"Oh, and don't get me started on you, Cullen," I growled. "You're the one who took my sister from me! She was just fine without you in her life, but now? Now I'm just a shameful human. Well, I'm sorry that you need a fragile human like me to help you, but it isn't my problem. Not anymore."

It took a moment for me to realize that I had tears on my face. I got up, and I ran up the stairs and slammed the door. She tried to come up first, tried to order and cajole me into coming out. I was having a crying fit, just shoulders shaking, a total mess. I was through with her.

Edward, little creep, tried to climb up the window, but thank the gods for Charlie, who threatened him with a restraining order if he didn't get down.

I wasn't coming out for anyone. Who was she to be asking me for help? Whenever I help her, I get burned. Badly.

"Okay, this is getting us nowhere," Patton finally said outside the door. "You guys leave, I'll see if I can get her to come out."

I clenched my fists harder, so that my fingernails were about to cut my palms. I wasn't coming out. I didn't want to see anyone. To my surprise, he did nothing. I guess he sat there. Curious, I opened the door, to find that he had just been sitting out there all along. The first thing he did was leap to his feet and hug me.

"I can't help her," I said determinedly.

"You don't owe her anything," he agreed. "Normally, I'd say family first, but not with how she's treated you, Sunshine."

"Then why do I feel so guilty?" I asked.

"You've got a heart of gold," he said, and he hugged me closer.

Sister Dearest and Redward then came upstairs with Demon-Baby.

"There you are!" She cried, and she broke us apart with her vampiric strength, shoved Patton against the wall, and hugged me.

"LET GO!" I shouted, and she winced and obeyed. I looked into the blood-red eyes of my sister. "You've got some nerve B-"

I stopped. I can't bear to say her name anymore. It's just too painful.

"You've got to help me," she said, and she got down on her knees. "Please, my child."

"I'd consider her just as much mine, seeing as I felt your labor too!" I said angrily.

Edward got down on his knees. "Please, Marlene. . . My whole family will die if they think that we created an immortal child."

"Immortal child?"

"A baby converted to vampirism," Edward explained. "It's one of our laws, and the Volturi are the enforcers. We need witnesses, and people who can fight if it comes to that."

"Oh, I know she isn't an immortal child," I said with a laugh as I grabbed my hips in painful memory.

"Please, help us Mara," my sister begged. "Please, I'll do anything."

"Anything?" I asked.

Both of them nodded.

My face softened. "I just want one thing, but it might be really hard for you."

They looked visibly nervous.

"I want an apology from you," I said to my sister. "I want an apology for never thanking me for my help. I want you to apologize for breaking Patton's arm and shoving him into a wall. I want you, Edward, to apologize for ever calling me a fragile, pathetic human, and apologize to Patton for killing his mother. If you can do both of those things right now, I'll testify the truth about Nessie, and maybe I can get Michael Kahale and my half-brother to help testify and fight."

My sister nodded and quickly apologized to Patton.

Edward stared at me, his lips moving but unable to make the sounds.

"I'm sorry I ever called you pathetic or fragile," he finally said, and he made amends with a stony-faced Patton, as my sister rambled on in her apology to me, never meaning anything.

I sent my emails to Will, so we'll see. Michael, Leah, Embry, Jacob, and Seth will help us as well. Nice.

* * *

 **12/16**

Okay, this is rich. We had training sessions and this guy, Eleazar? He can identify magical powers. Sister Dearest's a shield, and Malcolm? Oh boy, he spazzed out at Malcolm.

"And the former demigod," he'd said, and his eyes widened and he let out an excited shriek. "Carlisle, where did you find him?"

"He's a son of Athena," I informed him. "Got transformed just this past spring."

"His ability, it's amazing," he said. "Battle mediation. He can just make us stronger with more willpower and such by sapping it away from the Volturi."

"Holy Hera," Malcolm said. "Really?"

"Jasper's gonna love this," I said with a smirk. Sister Dearest wasn't exactly happy about not being in the spotlight. But oh well, she can go suck it.

I do wish Jasper was here. He and Alice would make this a lot more interesting.

* * *

 **12/30**

My sister's gathered a lot of witnesses. Tomorrow, the Volturi will come, and I will testify. I'm sharing a tent with Leah and Will, and Patton, Michael, and Malcolm are in the one right next door.

We just sat in the starlight for a while, and now I just wonder about what's going to happen, who makes it and who doesn't. Gods, I hope I don't regret this.


	17. I Know You Can Show Me

**12/31**

The Volturi came across marching, a unified front. The leader, Aro (I was briefed the vampire royal family the night before), marched forwards and demanded to know if Renesseme was an immortal child. I gave my testimony as Jane (the girl who tortured me) stared me down. Half-vampires gave their testimonies.

"Step forward, Edward Cullen," Aro commanded. Edward did so, and they touched so Aro could see his thoughts. Surprisingly, Aro then decapitated Edward, and Caius started a fire so that they could burn him.

Esme and Carlisle ran to try to save him, and were quickly thrown into the raging flames. Battle broke out, and Bella put Nessie on Jacob's back, and he ran off. Jane and Alice were battling fiercely, when she then stared in another direction.

Jasper was being restrained by Demetri, and Felix was about to take parts off, when Jane's gaze found him, and he screamed.

I looked at Alice. "Go, save him. She's _mine_!"

She nodded and ran off. Jane looked at me, although Jasper was still screaming, and she smirked.

"So the half-human girl has returned to try herself against me," Jane drawled. "I won't spare you again."

"Never expected you to," I snarled, and I launched myself at her with my blade. She dodged, and I tumbled into the snow. She tried to get on top of me and choke me, but I chopped her hand off, and tossed it to the fire. I also felt Jasper's cavalry sword by my elbow.

"JASPER! CATCH!" I shouted, and I threw it. He caught it, and he hit Demetri just right so that he exploded into golden dust.

"How?" Jane asked, distracted, and it was off with her head. I kicked her into one of the bonfires, and tossed the head in as well.

Benjamin looked around, and panicked, making a huge chasm. A few of the guard fell in, and Emmett got thrown by Chelsea into the chasm. We were so screwed by this idiot.

I looked around, and saw a black smoke enveloping Patton, and I ran for Alec, who about died right there of fear. I hit him so that he exploded into golden dust. Instantly freed from the anesthetic, Patton leapt up and hugged me, giving me a quick kiss before we got into back-to-back battle positions.

The Romanians took out Marcus, and the only survivors of our group left, Leah, Michael, Seth, Malcolm, Patton, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Will, and me were back to back as the guard surrounded us.

"Can't your gift help us out?" I asked Malcolm.

"I'm trying!" He shouted as he swiped at a guard with his spear. "We're not all Miss Perfect, aka Bella Swan!"

"Bella Cullen!" She corrected.

"Does that really matter right now?" Michael grunted as he kicked another away.

"We're so dead," Will kept repeating over and over again.

There was a flash of light, and a gray-eyed woman with black braided hair in armor and a shield with a horrible face on it appeared.

"Mother," Malcolm said.

"Lady Athena," Michael said, and we all got down on our knees except for Bella, who didn't quite understand.

"I knew I had a fondness for you, son of Venus, even if you are, well, _Roman_ ," she said. "Sit down, _Stregoni Benefici_!" With a movement of her hand, Bella was forced onto her knees to respect the goddess of war.

She turned to the vampires. "Aro Volturi, son of mine, these demigods, this werewolf, the former Oracle and this vampiress are under my protection. You shall not harm them."

Aro and the rest got down on their knees and nodded. "It is as you wish, Mother."

"Good," Athena said, and she disappeared.

Both sides were able to walk away that day, glory hallelujah.


	18. Epilogue: I Wanna Know What Love Is

Epilogue

 **AN: This is the end of _I Wanna Know What Love Is_. Thank you so much for your loyal viewership as I go on to hopefully write things that shall interest you in the future. This is a little sad, saying goodbye. **

* * *

I dug through the drawer for the photograph I hid underneath my clothes. I only took it out on special occasions, and today was one of them. Today was my wedding day. The frame was childish, with stickers of cartoon characters dancing around the wooden surface. It was of Bella at thirteen and me at ten. Her hair had recently been cut to her shoulders with bangs, and she was wearing a sleeveless white shirt with frills on the sleeves and jeans despite the Arizona heat. My blond hair was close to my head and almost boyishly short, and I wore cutoff shorts and a striped tank top. We were sitting under the tree back in our Phoenix house.

I traced the outline of my sister's face. I hadn't seen her since she married Jacob, since she couldn't live without a man. Other vampires around made sure that they were out of the country that the Cullens were in after what would immortally be remembered as the Volturi Incident.

I had invited her to the wedding, but I never got an RSVP. I knew that at least Jasper and Alice could make it, even though they were coming from Charleston, South Carolina. Jasper's new job as a tour guide at Fort Sumter was going well, and Alice had gotten promoted to manager at the touristy shop she worked at. It was nice to know that they were doing well despite the constant heat and sunshine, but turns out glittering was a seller for the travel business.

I'd decided that Leah would be my maid of honor, and Malcolm was Patton's. The rest of the groomsmen and bridesmaids were the entire Apollo cabin and Roman Apollo kids. Otherwise, we had a small ceremony going, just our families and a few friends.

We didn't need many people, and our lives were going just fine. I was halfway through medical school, and Patton was in the plumbing industry. Dirty deeds, but it paid well. I'd finally said yes to his proposal after we were on our feet.

"You miss her?"

Patton's standing the doorway before Leah and my half-sisters get up to chase him out.

"Bad luck to see the bride," Leah informed him, as he stared at me, as we communicated without words as we often did. He exited with an encouraging smile before Leah shut the door, giggling as she often did after her engagement with Michael.

"Let's get you ready," she said. Minimal makeup, all of it natural except for the golden eyeshadow Patton adored on me, said it made me look like a sun goddess. Red lips, too, since that was tradition for a wedding.

"You never told us what the dress looked like," Joanie, my Grecian half-sister said. "Show it to us."

I smirked. I hadn't told or shown anyone what I was wearing to the wedding, or even what color the dress was. Patton thought gold. Mom thought it would be blue. Charlie was thinking more along the lines of white.

I pulled the garment bag out of the closet and made a big show of taking the bag off of it, and revealing the V-neck gauzy white dress reminiscent of the Greeks, but with modern twists, and only one slit from the knees down on my left. My shoes weren't too high, golden paint on the platforms, with white laces up to my mid-calves. I pulled out the accessories I'd picked out on my own, golden cord to braid into my hair, golden bracelets around my upper arms, and a braided belt with a giant sun on it. My earrings were more traditional, with pearl teardrops.

I stared at myself in the mirror, right before they'd put the veil on, a surprise by them, and the peonies we'd agreed on would be stuffed into my hands and I'd walk down the aisle. I looked breathtaking. If only she were here.

"Alright, let's get a move on," Leah chirped. "Don't want the groom thinking you stood him up."

I managed to laugh, and one of my Roman half-sisters, Tory, pulled the veil of the box. Careful embroidery of Greek and Roman monsters alike, delicate little white tapestries of the Olympic family's history down the entire sheet. Tears came to my eyes at the thought of how much effort it must've taken.

"Thank you so much," I said, and I turned around and hugged them. I put it on, and then they helped me adjust it. I was ready to get married.

Charlie was to send me off, so he came in, and gave me yet another hug.

"It's amazing, seeing you all grown up as well," he said. "You and that boy. . . You'll have many adventures together, I just know it."

"That means a lot, coming from you, Charlie," I said.

"Well, we better get going," he said after a silence and he held out his arm. I hesitated.

"Is. . . _She_ here?" I asked. Her name was still painful to say when I remembered how she betrayed me and continued to betray me.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I was late, and there was barely any time-"

"It's alright," I said as I fought to hold the tears back. "She'd just make it about her, anyway. Today's about Patton and I."

"That's the spirit, Mara," he said warmly, and I accepted his arm this time.

It was amazing, walking down the aisle of the small church. There were just a few decorations of Queen Anne's lace, but nothing too fancy, we wanted to wait for the reception for that. I could see Patton, with that nervous grin on his face, fiddling with his tie as Malcolm gestured for him to quit it.

Up at the altar, my heart pounded at what I was about to do. This was going to be one of the happiest days of my life. It all went so fast. We were exchanging vows, sliding the rings, and then there was the kiss. A kiss I will always remember.

The reception was great as well. We stood at the receiving line when she arrived. She was last, and eyes were on her. She hadn't aged a day, naturally, and was on Jacob's arm. Both were dressed in expensive clothing. Nessie had aged a lot, and wore a fluffy pink dress.

She was quiet in the lantern-lit garden, but it was alright. Her being here was enough. Patton took me by the arm, and we went out to dance to our song.


End file.
